With many tighter emissions restrictions already enforced worldwide and numerous more on the way, Rolls Royce and other premium manufacturers will be forced to roll out plug-in hybrids and all-electric vehicles as part of their lineups. Speaking to Auto Express at the Geneva Motor Show, Rolls Royce boss Torsten Muller-Otvos confirmed that a plug-in hybrid Rolls "will be essential in two years, maybe not from customer demand but through legal regulation on emissions".

A hybrid Spirit of Ecstasy model is likely to borrow its platform from parent company, BMW, which is currently featuring a combination of a turbocharged four-cylinder engine and an electric motor on its upcoming X5 eDrive. The most likely pioneer model for a hybrid Rolls would be the next-generation Phantom, though no final confirmation is currently available.