No matter which company you buy your car from, it will have gone through months, perhaps years, of rigorous testing - and Rolls-Royce is no different.
The British luxury car maker is in the midst of testing its second electric model: a large SUV similar in size and stature to the existing Cullinan.
The unnamed car, which will join the Rolls-Royce Spectre in the firm’s electric line-up, is primed to rival Bentley’s forthcoming EV.
For cars, the harshest tests are undertaken in wintery conditions, often north of the Arctic Circle. Here, they are tested on snow, ice and in plummeting temperatures.
Rolls-Royce’s new model was spotted for the first time at parent company BMW Group's proving ground in Arjeplog, Sweden. While its design was still obscured by a camouflage livery, it appears to be fairly close to production specification.
All current Rolls-Royce models, including the Spectre coupé (the company's first EV), use the Architecture of Luxury platform, which will also be the foundation for the new SUV.
We’re still waiting for in-depth specification details, but the Spectre uses a 102kWh battery with up to 529km of range (329 miles). It delivers up to 650bhp from a dual motor powertrain in its most exclusive Black Badge specification.
However, the new SUV is likely to use the latest generation of BMW's technology, including the batteries and motors.
This technology will also be used in its sibling brand's upcoming Neue Klasse range of electric vehicles, which debuted on the new iX3, which offers as high as 804km (500 miles) of range on a charge.
A potential obstacle, however, is the technology's potential lack of compatibility with the Architecture of Luxury platform.
The new Rolls-Royce SUV is likely to be unveiled in the coming months, before going on sale in 2027.
The timeline for this is expected to mirror the Spectre's development. The Spectre was first seen testing at the close of 2021, unveiled in October 2022, and customer deliveries commenced a year later.
Rival brand Bentley, meanwhile, is planning to unveil its first electric car, an "urban SUV", in the final quarter of 2026.
Rolls-Royce has yet to disclose any official details about its new SUV. When approached, a spokesperson told Move Electric’s sister publication Autocar that the company was "unable to comment on future product plans".
