Rolls-Royce vows to stick with potent 12-cylinder petrol engines as it shelves plan to go electric in 2030

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Rolls-Royce will continue selling limousines with powerful V12 petrol engines beyond a previous deadline of 2030 for going all-electric, the boss of the luxury car maker has confirmed.

Chief executive Chris Brownridge told Daily Mail and This is Money that a combination of a softening in government regulatory rules on the timetable for a transition to electric and continuing demand from the marque' super-rich customers meant there was still a place for the massive but smoothly powerful 6.75-litre V12 engine.

His predecessor, Torsten Muller-Otvos - who retired from the role in late 2023 - had said two years earlier that Rolls-Royce internal combustion models would end by 2030 and be replaced by 100 per cent fully electric models.

But that plan has now ended.

Mr Brownridge confirmed the strategy change during a business briefing at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars's headquarters at Goodwood near Chichester in West Sussex where the boutique factory is currently undergoing a £300million expansion to cope with a boom in bespoke commissions.

He said: 'The V12 power train is something we will continue to invest in. We will continue to produce it beyond 2030. But we will also continue to produce electric powertrains. The legislation now allows us to do that.'

There remained strong demand from customers for the petrol version, he said.

Prestige British car maker Rolls-Royce has said it will continue to sell models with hulking 12-cylinder petrol engines beyond 2030 as it U-turns on its previous proposal to go all-electric

However, the decision to continue producing the traditional petrol V12 engine - which will manage around 17mpg - marks a significant shift and U-turn in strategy which will infuriate environmental campaigner opposed to 'gas guzzler' vehicles.

Explaining the shift, Brownridge said: 'The regulatory landscape has shifted in the last five years.'

It puts us in a position of strength.

'The one thing that will not alter is that we will always offer the pinnacle of powertrains.'

On the previous 2030 deadline to end petrol V12 engine production, he said: 'The predictions made were based on a different set of circumstances.'

'There will be some clients who will prefer to have a V12. Others will prefer an electric Spectre. Some will want both.

'The legislation has changed and allows us that flexibility.'

It comes after a number of other luxury car-makers - including Bentley - have rowed back on their electric ambitions and extended the lifespan of their petrol engined vehicles.

However, Mr Brownridge he declined to say what proportion of cars are now electric , or would be in future: 'We don't have to predict that. We produce cars to order.'

Demand for electric models - such as the current Spectre - is and will remain healthy, he said.

More electric models are expected to join the line-up.

Despite the decision to abandon its commitment to going all-electric in 2030, Rolls-Royce said demand for its first EV - Spectre (pictured) - 'remains healthy'

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Mr Brownridge said Rolls-Royce remained committed to producing fully electric cars such as its Spectre, launched in 2023, because they embodied the spirit of the marque by offering silent and smooth propulsion and customer.

He insisted they were not putting the brakes on EV production and stressed there will be no delay to its future electric plans.

Last year, Rolls-Royce sold 5,664 luxury cars, its fourth best sales performance after 2022 when a record 6,021 cars were sold.

But Mr Brownridge stressed that their focus was on 'value not volume' and that profitability was enhanced by a bigger focus on bespoke vehicles.

Rolls-Royce has 125 dealerships world and five exclusive 'private offices' where the world's super rich can discuss private commissions and bespoke made-to-order cars, which is a boom area of growth and profitability.