-Rolls-Royce continues its 2.5 million kilometer all-electric Specter test program.
– Almost 2 million test kilometers have now been completed worldwide.
– Extremely hot weather tests at 50°C are currently being conducted in South Africa.
– Marginal Profit Theory is used for significant overall improvements.
– Specter is going through the “last four seasons” of conditions to ratify results.
– The final process “Lifestyle Analysis” will complete Specter tests.
“Spectre has already secured its place as the most anticipated Rolls-Royce in history. This remarkable and transformative motor car represents the beginning of the marque’s bold electric era as well as our unquestionable technological leadership of the super-luxury space. Equally, this vast, ambitious and demanding testing process symbolises our promise to ensure Spectre is undoubtedly a Rolls-Royce first. A profound aspect of our approach to this precious brand is to inspire greatness in everything we do and with Spectre, we are elevating the automotive experience to unparalleled heights, creating a new benchmark of distinction. It is the fulfilment of this promise that underpins the marque’s ongoing success and drives our constant focus to meet, and exceed, the expectations of our discerning clients.” Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive Officer, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.
“The reason for our extraordinary and restless global testing process is simple: there has never been a motor car like Spectre before. As the first all-electric Rolls-Royce, Spectre represents not just a new paradigm in our technology, but the entire future direction of our brand. Only Rolls-Royce engineers could conceive this astonishing journey, and only Rolls-Royce engineers could undertake it: the task is not to test a motor car but to elevate the benchmark of automotive excellence.” Dr. Mihiar Ayoubi, Director of Engineering, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.
ROLLS-ROYCE SPECTRE: HOT WEATHER TESTING
The Specter, Rolls-Royce’s genre-defining all-electric super coupe, has clocked nearly two million kilometers, completing the third phase of the most rigorous testing program ever developed in the brand’s 118-year history. This has already surpassed all previous Rolls-Royce test programs – and is far from over.
The Specter is currently undergoing extreme heat testing at two locations in South Africa: Augrabies in the North Cape; and Franschhoek, “French Corner” in the wine regions of the Western Cape. The stable but contrasting climate offers some of the best summer weather in the world, with dry and very hot conditions in the north and wetter Mediterranean conditions in the south. On the hottest days, temperatures can exceed 50°C while the southern region offers a wide variety of surfaces and scenery, including winding back roads full of gravel, dust and mud. Really test the conditions, in every way.
During this phase, engineers observe and refine each system, hardware, and software protocol developed through nearly two million kilometers of continuous testing. It is only through such careful assessments that Rolls-Royce’s technical experts can achieve the highest level of ride comfort that customers value so dearly, and successfully translate the defining magic carpet brand into a new all-electric paradigm.
During Specter testing, each of the vehicle’s 25,000 individual performance-related attributes was carefully tailored to deliver the signature Rolls-Royce experience. The improvements now made follow the principle of “marginal utility”, with individual, very small and incremental adjustments adding up to a significant overall improvement. While this theory is widely used and validated in elite sport and high-level corporations, Specter testing is using it on an unprecedented scale as part of a broader validation process known internally as the Rolls-Royce Finishing School.
Examples of the meticulous attention-to-element that Spectre prototypes are being subjected to are manifold however regularly not possible to quantify, as they constitute the judgement and intuition of the marque’s peerless and long-status engineering elite. For example, over 1500 hours have already been devoted to finessing the automobile’s regenerative braking to make sure it feels handy however present. Data-logging system methods sensor inputs generated through this braking force, to make sure that modifications do now no longer compromise the general serenity of Spectre beneathneath any riding conditions. However, it’s far simplest the enjoy and judgement of long-status Rolls-Royce engineers which could make sure the motor automobile will, while checking out is completed, meet the inimitable requirements required to supply an increased expression of the Rolls-Royce enjoy.
Likewise, the anti-roll bar stabilization is tuned to reflect the dynamic promises of the Specter super coupe’s dramatic design, while maintaining the brand’s “Ride on the Carpet” hallmark. In South Africa, this test is of particular importance as high temperatures can change the stiffness of rubber suspension components, providing a parameter determined by testing in extremely cold weather conditions.
This exhaustive approach was also taken to ensure the right color quality and brightness for the theater of light evoked by opening the Specter car door. In order to ensure a harmonious interior feeling regardless of the ambient light conditions, all interior lighting, including the famous signature Bespoke Starlight headliner, the instrument cluster and the SPIRIT interface must be perfectly coordinated. This requires detailed analysis of the global exposure range and types of sunlight to ensure consistent color quality wherever the Specter is in the world.
As the auto approaches the later stages of its exhaustive checking out programme, similarly modifications can be made to sealing substances to supply Rolls-Royce’s famed aero-acoustic overall performance. This technique is important due to the fact rubber sealing substances carry out in a different way via the spectrum of temperatures. For example, throughout Spectre’s checking out segment at Arjeplog in Sweden, seals hardened in sub-0 temperatures. Conversely, in South Africa, Rolls-Royce engineers can be assessing the acoustic overall performance of seals softened in warmer conditions. Their paintings is consequently to locate choicest stability to make sure the cabin is insulated in all extremes of climate.
In South Africa and for the remainder of the programme the audio system is tuned and fine-tuned to deliver a fraction of the sound quality from the Specter’s 17 speakers after initial testing and calibration in a lab environment. The system is now fully tested under real world conditions. Specially curated playlists featuring a variety of music genres are used to fully showcase your audio needs.
This commitment to perfect acoustic performance extends to key vehicle functions. Even the speed at which the self-closing car doors close is carefully checked to ensure that the ideal positive sound is produced when closing.
ROLLS-ROYCE SPECTRE: THE EXTRAORDINARY UNDERTAKING NEARS COMPLETION
When the experience and data gathered in South Africa are fully analyzed and appropriate actions and measures implemented, the Specter testing program will be approximately 80% complete when it moves into the final ratification phase. This includes putting the car through a reduced program of ‘all year round’ testing, including revisiting the arctic extremes of the Arjeplog and the more temperate conditions of the Côte d’Azur.
The final 500,000 kilometers of the Specter test will be devoted to lifestyle analysis. As part of this proprietary testing process, the Specter is tested in super-luxe environments and usage scenarios specific to Rolls-Royce customers to ensure the Specter performs as expected in the heart of global metropolitan areas, near new and historic luxury destinations, and in other environments that meet the needs, habits and lifestyle of the owners.
ROLLS-ROYCE SPECTRE: TESTING BACKGROUND
Ahead of customer delivery of the first vehicles, scheduled for Q4 2023, the Specter has been extensively tested to replicate nearly 400 years of normal use in some of the most extreme environments on Earth. In total, the car will cover more than 2.5 million kilometers, which is equivalent to circumnavigating the world 62 times.
Testing began in winter 2021 at a dedicated test site in Arjeplog, Sweden, just 55 kilometers from the Arctic Circle. With temperatures as low as -40°C, Rolls-Royce engineers have researched and refined every aspect of the Spectre’s performance and handling on snow and ice, as well as all the effects that prolonged extreme cold can have on car batteries and other electronic systems.
After successfully completing this test, Specter spent the summer of 2022 in the sunnier but no less harsh parts of the French Riviera and around the Côte d’Azur. This included testing at the historic Autodrome de Miramas proving ground, a former Grand Prix circuit that now offers over 60 kilometers of closed circuits and 20 state-of-the-art test tracks. However, most of the testing took place in the Provence countryside to assess the Specter’s performance under real-world conditions in an area where many production cars will likely spend their lives.