Rolls-Royce
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BMW becomes the latest car maker to adopt Tesla's EV charging standard
The change should go into effect in early 2025.
Rolls-Royce won't let customers buy another car if they sell its new EV for a profit
Any buyers planning to flip a Rolls-Royce Spectre EV for a quick profit may want to think twice.
UK Space Agency funds Rolls-Royce's bid to put a nuclear reactor on the moon
Rolls-Royce is creating a nuclear micro-reactor to power future moon bases.
Rolls-Royce's first EV is the $413,500 Spectre coupe
Rolls-Royce has unveiled its first EV, the Spectre coupe, and it's every bit as quiet and smooth as you'd expect — if you're willing to pay $413,500 for it.
Rolls-Royce's all-electric airplane smashes record with 387.4 MPH top speed
Just two months after its maiden flight, Rolls-Royce's "Spirit of Innovation" has hit a record top speed of 387.4 MPH.
We won't have electric airplanes until battery tech improves
We are nearing the age of electric airplanes, just need the batteries to get stronger and lose a bit of weight.
Rolls-Royce plans to stop making gas-powered cars by 2030
The brand's first EV, named Spectre, should hit the roads in late 2023.
Rolls-Royce's all-electric aircraft completes 15-minute maiden voyage
Rolls-Royce, best known in aviation for its jet engines, has taken an all-electric airplane on its maiden voyage.
Virgin Galactic reveals its Mach 3 aircraft design
Virgin Galactic unveils its Mach 3 high-speed aircraft design and plans to work with Rolls-Royce.
Quips is an AI to help ALS patients speak with their own voice
One of the most devastating outcomes of motor neuron disease (MND), more commonly known as ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease in the US, is that it eventually takes away the ability of those who have it to speak. But like it promises to do in a lot of other areas, artificial intelligence could soon help MND patients better cope with their condition thanks to a new tool developed by Rolls-Royce and its R² Data Labs.
The Rolls-Royce Cullinan is the nicest office you’ll never sit in
The pinnacle of high society is the Rolls-Royce. Only the richest TV and movie characters roll up in a Rolls. When they hop out of the back, you know that they're the heirs to a diamond mine or a diabolical supervillain with a huge bank account. So it's not surprising that the back of the first SUV from the automaker exudes an aura of exclusivity that transcends automobile segments. But they let me drive it all the same.
Rolls-Royce may use bug-like robots to assist airplane engine repair
Rolls-Royce showed off a handful of small robots this week that could aid in the inspection and repair of airplane engines sometime in the future. Though still under development, the tiny robots could lead to faster, less labor-intensive engine inspections as well as cost reductions for engine maintenance. The technologies, which were displayed at the Farnborough Airshow, are being developed in partnership with other companies as well as researchers at the University of Nottingham and Harvard University.
Rolls-Royce is the latest to develop a flying taxi
The flying taxis from Airbus and Uber may have some fresh competition, albeit not quite in the way they might have expected. Rolls-Royce has unveiled an EVTOL (Electric Vertical Take Off and Landing) concept that could carry four to five passengers to virtually any large-enough landing spot thanks to wings that can rotate 90 degrees. It wouldn't be purely electric, despite the name (gas turbines would produce the 500kW of power needed for six propellers), but it would be quiet while ferrying people up to 500 miles at a peak speed of 250MPH. Its wing propellers would fold away once at cruise height to avoid irking either passengers or people below.
Airbus, Rolls-Royce and Siemens team on a hybrid electric aircraft
Purely electric aircraft are still in their relative infancy. Hybrid aircraft, however? They're closer than you think. Airbus, Rolls-Royce and Siemens are partnering on a hybrid electric aircraft prototype, the E-Fan X, that will prove the mixture of conventional and electric engines will work. The demonstrator will modify a BAe 146 by replacing one of its gas turbine engines with a 2MW electric motor, followed by a second if everything goes smoothly. It's currently slated to fly sometime in 2020.
Rolls-Royce unveils plans for an autonomous patrol ship
Patrol ships are necessary to protect coastlines and fleets, but they're far from ideal right now. You need big, bulky vessels, and the human crews are either faced with the tedium of an uneventful trip (if they're lucky) or threats that a lone ship is ill-equipped to face. Rolls-Royce might have a better way: it just unveiled plans for an autonomous patrol ship that would eliminate many of these headaches, and would even be relatively eco-friendly.
Rolls-Royce expects remote-controlled cargo ships by 2020
Rolls-Royce isn't limiting its robotic transportation plans to luxury cars. The British transportation firm has outlined a strategy for deploying remote-controlled and autonomous cargo vessels. It's working on virtual decks where land-based crews could control every aspect of a ship, complete with VR camera views and monitoring drones to spot issues that no human ever could. Accordingly, Rolls is designing boats where humans wouldn't have to come aboard. In theory, one human would steer several boats -- crew shortages would disappear overnight.
A driverless Rolls-Royce means you can fire your chauffeur
While other electric or autonomous vehicle companies might be content to build a sensible, everyday mode of transport, noted luxury automaker Rolls-Royce is rejecting that notion entirely with its first driverless vehicle concept. In a decidedly lavish announcement, Rolls-Royce says its new Vision Next 100 car has been designed for "the most discerning and powerful patrons in the world."
Rolls-Royce's new Wraith can silence the jeers of the poor
Music is about youth, vibrancy and rebellion, something that seems at odds with Rolls-Royce, cars that are normally the province of stuffed shirts the world over. Despite this, the company feels that it needs to reach out to music-loving billionaires, which is why it's launching the Rolls-Royce Wraith Inspired By Music edition. Effectively, the existing Wraith has been kitted out with a custom stereo that, it's claimed, will turn your car into "the most exclusive music venue" on the highway. Considering that a base model Wraith can cost in excess of $360,000, we'd say that's a fair claim to make.
Rolls-Royce Wraith picks gears using GPS, keeps your Spirit of Ecstasy soaring (video)
Many Rolls-Royce drivers are used to effortless speed between the big engines and smooth suspensions. The automaker's new Wraith coupe could iron out what few of those wrinkles are left through a clever use of GPS for the transmission. Its eight-speed ZF automatic gearbox relies on positioning to pick gears in advance, gauging the situation down to the exact stretch of road: it can see the need for a shorter gear at the upcoming corner, for example. Other tech upgrades aren't quite as fresh, although we're sure that less traditionalist Rolls drivers won't mind a heads-up display, voice command support and the infotainment system's multi-touch trackpad. The Wraith's €245,000 ($318,745) price and late 2013 availability will likely be too much to endure if all you're looking for is seamless shifting -- they may, however, provide some consolation for missing out on that LaFerrari.
Inhabitat's Week in Green: Rolls Royce 102EX test drive, electric unicycle and a sun-powered leaf
Each week our friends at Inhabitat recap the week's most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us -- it's the Week in Green. Electric vehicle momentum swept the states this week as Inhabitat took a spin in the new Rolls Royce 102EX Phantom EV, and we brought you exclusive photos of BMW's brand new i3 and i8 electric cars. We also showcased six sexy electric vehicles set to hit the streets in 2012, watched a 350MPG EV win the Future Car Challenge, and saw scientists create the world's smallest electric vehicle from a molecule and four motors. Meanwhile, El Al airlines announced plans to launch a line of hybrid-electric Boeing 737 airplanes, Ryno unveiled a crazy electric unicycle, and a team of students revealed Uganda's first electric car. It was a big week for alternative energy as well as Kenya announced plans to tap lava power with a newly Toshiba-built geothermal energy plant and scientists made a breakthrough in using urine as a viable power source. We also looked into a scientist claiming to have achieved cold fusion, a 'solar cucumber' that harvests fresh drinking water from the ocean, and a sun-powered leaf capable of making ice in the desert. In other news, green textiles advanced by leaps and bounds as scientists wove fabric from 24-karat gold, researchers developed a reusable fabric that administers drugs through the skin, and the University of Kiel's developed a super-adhesive tape inspired by Gecko skin. We also showcased an incredible set of sculptures made from recycled circuit boards, we watched a crop of styrofoam robots invade Germany's streets, and we saw an innovative self-powered irrigation system win the 2011 James Dyson award. And just in time for the chilly winter season, we found these oh-so-handy texting gloves which feature conductive fingertips that allow you to touch, tap, or type on any mobile touchscreen outdoors without having to remove your gloves.
