British Company Wants to EV-Swap Your Classic Rolls-Royce

If you want a vintage Rolls-Royce without the low rumble of an internal combustion engine, England-based Evice has just what the doctor ordered. The company has developed an electric powertrain for classic Rolls-Royce models like the Corniche and the Silver Shadow, and it has started testing the first prototype.

Evice points out that it developed much of the technology required to EV-swap a decades-old Rolls-Royce in-house. Called XP1, the first prototype is powered by a 77-kilowatt-hour battery pack that zaps its electric motors into motion, though there’s no word yet on exactly how many motors the drivetrain uses.

Regardless, the 800-volt system delivers 400 horsepower and over 200 miles of range. While that output represents a generous improvement over the stock Corniche, which put roughly 218 horsepower under the driver’s right foot, keep in mind the original car wasn’t lugging around a heavy battery. Suspension and braking changes keep the weight in check while retaining the ride quality that Rolls-Royce is known for.

Evice went through the trouble of wrapping the Corniche-based XP1 in black and white camouflage, but it doesn’t look like much has changed in the styling department. The big sedan looks pretty much like an old-school Rolls-Royce except it doesn’t have an exhaust outlet. Inside, the company installed heated, ventilated, and power-adjustable front seats, air conditioning, a beefier sound system, and a rear-view camera. There’s also a touchscreen compatible with wireless Apple CarPlay hidden in the dashboard.

If everything goes according to plan, Evice will funnel the lessons learned during the testing phase into a near-production model scheduled to hit the road during the first quarter of 2025. Customer deliveries will start in the spring of 2026, though pricing information and American availability haven’t been announced.