The electrification of a 1973 Rolls-Royce Phantom VI City of London official limousine has been undertaken by British electric vehicle (EV) technology company Electrogenic.
The historic machine has been converted to clean and silent electric power, enabling it to efficiently carry out its official duties within the city of London and beyond for decades to come.
The project was commissioned by Alderwoman Dame Susan Langley DBE – the 697th Lord Mayor of the City of London – and forms part of the City of London Corporation’s wider drive to achieve net zero carbon emissions for its own operations by 2027.
The Oxford-based EV powertrain specialist was entrusted with sympathetically electrifying the Rolls-Royce, for a zero-emissions future.
Electrogenic installed a 120kW electric motor producing 310Nm of torque in place of the original powertrain. This is fed by a 62kWh battery pack located under the bonnet and driving through a single-speed direct-drive transmission.
The 62kWh battery pack gives a real-world range of 100–120 miles.
Steve Drummond, CEO, Electrogenic, said:
“Our team has sympathetically preserved everything that made the original car so special, while giving it a clean, modern powertrain perfectly suited to carrying out ceremonial duties in a modern city. The result is the ideal ceremonial limousine, full of character and now future-proofed and preserved so Londoners can continue to enjoy it for decades to come.”
Lady Mayor of the City of London, Dame Susan Langley, added:
“I’m delighted to see this iconic part of the City’s heritage being brought into the modern era. This car used on ceremonial occasions is a distinctive symbol of the City of London and this project shows that preserving our traditions does not mean standing still.
“This is exactly the kind of innovation we should embrace: respecting our heritage while finding new ways to move forward. It’s great to see one of these historic vehicles given a new lease of life through electric power, combining the best of the City’s past with its future.”
