Currently reading: Rolls-Royce's second EV spotted for the first time – and it's a big SUV

Goodwood car maker's next electric car, after the Spectre, will go up against Bentley's incoming maiden EV

This is our first look at Rolls-Royce’s second EV, a huge Cullinan-sized SUV that will go toe-to-toe with Bentley's maiden EV.

No official information about the vehicle has been released by the Goodwood car maker, but Rolls was always going to create another EV to join the Spectre in the near future.

Indeed, the car maker last year invested £300m into its West Sussex headquarters to get it ready for future electric vehicle production.

And while little is known about this SUV, these pictures suggest it is close to being production-ready and could be unveiled as early as this year.

The prototype mule was spotted testing at parent company BMW Group’s proving ground in Arjeplog, Sweden. 

The pictures appear to show that the SUV has very similar proportions to the Cullinan – the only SUV Rolls sells – possibly pointing to this being an electric sibling, or even replacement, of that car.

Such a move would make sense, given that the Cullinan is Rolls' best-seller by some margin – it accounted for the majority of the car maker’s 5664 sales in 2025. However, replacing the big-selling ICE Cullinan with an EV won't be a decision the firm will take lightly, especially in light of current buyer trends and as other luxury makers turn away from electric cars.

When approached, Rolls told Autocar that it is “unable to comment on future product plans”.

Expected to go on sale next year around the same time as Bentley's electric SUV, the new EV will be the first model overseen by design director Domagoj Dukec, BMW’s former design boss who moved to the West Sussex firm in 2024.

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The new SUV is expected to, like the rest of the Rolls range, sit on the car maker’s bespoke AOL platform, while taking advantage of parent BMW Group’s new technologies, including batteries and software. The new BMW iX3, which was launched at the end of last year, is the first to use this technology and offers 500 miles of range, the biggest of any production car currently on sale in the UK.

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Will Rimell

Will Rimell Autocar
Title: News editor

Will is Autocar's news editor.​ His focus is on setting Autocar's news agenda, interviewing top executives, reporting from car launches, and unearthing exclusives.

As part of his role, he also manages Autocar Business – the brand's B2B platform – and Haymarket's aftermarket publication CAT.

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Jorge Esquinca 18 January 2026

If it´s an SUV or a crossover, I´m simply NOT interested.

Deputy 16 January 2026

Rolls & Royce both wanted to do an electric car 110+ years ago.  But stated the charging infrastucture wouldn't work, truly ahead of their time!Rolls & Royce both wanted to do an electric car 110+ years ago.  But stated the charging infrastucture wouldn't work, truly ahead of their time!

scrap 16 January 2026

The Cullinan set such a low bar design wise that it can hardly look worse. Then again...