Bentley teases first EV, delays going fully electric again
Bentley has teased its first-ever electric vehicle, while also confirming it won’t be shifting to a purely electric lineup by 2030.
These details were revealed late last week when the Volkswagen-owned British marque unveiled its Beyond 100+ strategic plan, a revision of the earlier Beyond 100 plan originally announced in 2020.
Due in 2026 — a year later than originally planned — the as-yet unnamed crossover is being classed as the “world’s first luxury urban SUV” by Bentley, suggesting it will be smaller in size than the Bentayga, which is 5.1m long in standard wheelbase form.
Like the company’s current models, the new EV will have prominent bulge around the rear wheel arch. It will also feature a window line that sweeps upwards aft of the rear doors, like on the Continental coupe.
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Camera IconBentley EV Credit: CarExpert
Camera IconBentley Continental GT coupe Credit: CarExpert
Although Bentley didn’t provide any further details about the new model’s drivetrain and range, the company claimed the car is being designed and developed in the UK, and will be produced at the brand’s headquarters in Crewe, about an hour south of Manchester.
Earlier this year Bentley’s then-CEO Adrian Hallmark blamed the electric crossover’s delayed launch on technical issues encountered by Porsche and Audi during the development of Platform Premium Electric (PPE), which serves as the basis of the Audi Q6 e-tron and second-generation Porsche Macan, as well as Bentley’s crossover EV.
After the electric crossover’s unveiling, Bentley plans to launch a new plug-in hybrid (PHEV) or pure electric model every year until 2035.
Camera IconBentley Bentayga Credit: CarExpert
Due to “today’s economic, market and legislative environment” — code for the slower-than-anticipated take up of electric vehicles — Bentley’s lineup won’t be completely electric until 2035, right when sales of new petrol- and diesel-powered cars will be banned in the European Union.
This isn’t the first delay in the company’s all-electric ambitions. In late 2020, Bentley announced it would have a fully electrified range by 2026 before going pure electric by 2030. Earlier this year, it pushed the all-EV target back to 2033.
To accommodate this shift, Bentley plans on “extending the lifecycle of PHEV models beyond 2030”.
The Flying Spur sedan, and Continental coupe and convertible are powered exclusively by plug-in hybrid drivetrain featuring 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8. The Bentayga, at least in standard wheelbase form, is available with the V6 plug-in hybrid setup.
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