Lunaz has announced the start of production of the world's first classic electric Rolls-Royces.
“The time is right for an electric Rolls-Royce," says David Lorenz, founder of Lunaz, a leading creator of classic electric cars. "We are answering the need to marry beautiful classic design with the usability, reliability and sustainability of an electric powertrain. More than ever we are meeting demand for clean-air expressions of the most beautiful and luxurious cars in history. We are proud to make a classic Rolls-Royce relevant to a new generation.”
A 1961 Rolls-Royce Phantom V has now completed the Lunaz re-engineering process. This includes ground-up restoration and the incorporation of Lunaz’s proprietary electric powertrain and full suite of hardware and software upgrades. Production allocation for the first tranche of Rolls-Royce cars by Lunaz will be strictly limited to 30. Orders are already being taken from Lunaz’s existing client base and some of the most celebrated and influential institutions in the world.
Following demand for electrified Phantoms, Lunaz elected to begin creating Rolls-Royce Silver Clouds. Clients are invited to secure allocation for these cars in a range of body styles, including four-door limousine, two-door coupé and drophead coupé.
The start of production of the world’s first electric Rolls-Royce cars follows a surge in demand for the electrification of pinnacle classic cars. This is driven by a rebalancing of car collections for a clean air future. To meet this demand, Lunaz is doubling its workforce at its Technical HQ in Silverstone, England.
Electric Rolls-Royces by Lunaz will be available in every global market. Allocation can only be secured through direct relationship with the factory. Prices for a Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud by Lunaz starts at £350,000 (not including local taxes). Pricing for a Rolls-Royce Phantom by Lunaz starts at £500,000 (not including local taxes).
Electric Phantom by Lunaz
A Rolls-Royce Phantom by Lunaz is the only built-for-purpose, electric chauffeur-driven car in the world. These cars answer a growing requirement from individuals and the world’s leading institutions for a clean-air alternative.
A Rolls-Royce is always engineered for silent running, with power delivered smoothly with the feeling of one continuous gear. Conversion to electric amplifies these characteristics while ensuring these most significant cars remain a relevant proposition for changing sensibilities and legislative climates, particularly in major global cities.
Rolls-Royce Phantoms by Lunaz are powered by the firm’s proprietary electric powertrain. Its battery pack is the largest of its type in the world at 120 kWh, ensuring range of over 300 miles - significantly more than required for traditional chauffeur-driven use.
Every car by Lunaz is taken back to the bare metal, 3D scanned, weighed and fully restored before the conversion and re-engineering process begins. This affords every Lunaz customer the scope to inject their own design and technology desires under the guiding hand of Design Director, Jen Holloway.
The 1961 Rolls-Royce Phantom V by Lunaz clothes the car’s timeless proportions and unmistakable presence with a contemporary two-tone paint scheme, with Midland Grey on the upper of the car and Cinereous Grey on the lower. The hand-painted feature line that breaks the two colours is inspired by a period item specified by the car’s previous client; a pink bakelite telephone that sat between the rear occupants. Naturally, this item has been retained in the final build and upgraded to incorporate modern cellular phone technology, encrypted for privacy.
The interior scheme tastefully echoes the exterior. The very finest sustainably-sourced leather is crafted by Lunaz’ in-house specialist team and specified in Argent Grey. Instead of traditional seat piping, a double welt feature is presented in Whisper with Argent Grey, creating a contemporary pinstripe detail.
The feature line’s subtle shade of pink is referenced as an unexpected detail feature on the inside of the grab-handles, placed for the convenience of occupants as they enter and exit the car.
The original woodwork has been painstakingly restored and finished with a contemporary satin treatment. This sympathetic update is offset with rose gold inlays. This approach extends to the door cappings, front fascia and the picnic table backs affixed to the privacy division that separates the driver and rear passenger compartment.
Every car by Lunaz is built with subtly placed modern technological conveniences. The driver benefits from a fully integrated infotainment system including satellite navigation. Audio can be split between the rear and front to ensure passengers are able to listen to music without interruption from the driver’s sat-nav instructions. Climate control is also significantly upgraded to incorporate modern air conditioning with the capability to dictate differing air settings depending on each occupant’s preference.
Two screens are integrated behind the privacy division’s picnic tables allowing rear occupants to watch films and mirror screens from mobile devices. A bar service occupies the centre of the unit and has been custom built to perfectly fit the owner’s favourite brand of tequila. Every Lunaz client will be invited to specify dimensions for their beverage of choice.
The 1961 Rolls-Royce Phantom by Lunaz is built in eight-seat configuration with a front bench for three occupants, rear bench for a further three and two occasional seats. Occupants throughout will benefit from Lunaz’s commitment to specifying only the very best materials. For example, rear floormats have been custom made in alpaca wool, a material that is rarer than cashmere, softer than lambswool and is considered highly sustainable.
Every car by Lunaz is equipped with the capability for both home charging and rapid charging.
Silver Cloud by Lunaz
Lunaz is making allocation available for both fixed head and drophead body styles across Silver Cloud I, II and III. An 80kw/h battery ensures 300+ miles range, providing the confidence for drivers to take the Silver Cloud on the long continental journeys for which it was intended.
From its inception in early 2018, the company has hired the very best engineering, design and manufacturing talent. The team has been handpicked to satisfy all of the identified requirements of Lunaz’s clientele and includes expertise from Aston Martin, Ferrari, Ford, Formula 1, Jaguar, Volkswagen, McLaren and Rolls-Royce.
The restoration and conversion process represents re-engineering from the ground up. It starts with an exhaustive inspection. Each corner is then weighed to understand the original weight distribution to the gram. This information informs decisions on chassis setup, powertrain packaging and suspension. The internal combustion engine and associated systems are then removed and the chassis is prepared for electrification.
The car is then 3D scanned; this allows the engineers to create detailed CAD models to ensure technical perfection in every step of the process. The specifics of Lunaz’s electric propulsion technology is closely guarded, but each classic by Lunaz is designed, developed, engineered and tested in-house using the highest specification modules available for automotive applications.
Traditional coachbuilding and restoration skills are then employed and the car is stripped down to a bare metal shell. Even imperceptible body defects are addressed by hand before the surface finish process begins.
The same approach extends to the interior. The in-house design team make subtle adaptations to integrate modern conveniences such as satellite telecommunications, WiFi, audiovisual entertainment and navigation aids.
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