Rolls-Royce is not like other car brands.

When the company decided to go electric, as CEO Torsten Muller-Otvos told CGTN, the issue was not about how it might impact costs – "our clients can afford our cars. They have reached that level" – but what it meant for the Rolls experience and the company's responsibility to those beyond its customer base.

Ultimately, Muller-Otvos says, any company that refuses the shift risks a double whammy of its cars being banned from many cities and the rejection of the next generation of consumers.

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"So I'm convinced that this is the right way forward for our brand – brilliant for our brand and for our cars. And we do not define ourselves with roaring engines and loud exhausts, so it's perfect."

The company's first electric car, Spectre, will be on the road from 2023. And from 2030, all its production will be electric.