Electric future, but gradually. This is how the future growth plan drawn up by Bentley, which has decided to, can be summarized postponed to the end of 2026 the launch of its first electric car. In fact, a postponement of one year, a period in which the British car manufacturer will accelerate investments in technology plug-in hybridthus favoring a gradual transition towards total electrification.
New timelines
So the timing changes: debuting in 2026, with deliveries expected by the end of that year, it will be the first of five new Bentley electric vehicles scheduled to launch annually from there to 2033, and no longer by the end of the decade as previously announced (the launch of the first EV is postponed and consequently also that of all the other electric vehicles planned by Bentley). And 2033 becomes the year to mark on the calendar, given that it represents the deadline after which the British brand will become completely electric in all respects.
The first electric Bentley
We remember in this sense that Bentley has long been on the electric heirs of the Continental GT, Continental GTC, Flying Spur and Bentayga models. Despite this, the brand's first 100% battery-powered vehicle will be a completely new model: a very specific choice made by the English company, which prefers to initially focus on a model that does not have a direct predecessor so as to put less pressure on it in terms of the market. There production of this vehicle will take place in Crewe: it will be based on the VW Group's new Premium Performance Electric (PPE) architecture, co-developed by Audi and Porsche.
Confidence in PHEV technology
In short, an extremely important model for Bentley, in all respects the first real move towards electrification by the brand. However, he doesn't want to skip ahead: The recent slowdown in the electric vehicle market has convinced the company that PHEV powertrains could prove to be much more than just an interim technology. For this reason, Autocar reports, Bentley is preparing to introduce a new high-performance PHEV system, based on a V8 engine that will serve to replace the venerable W12 engine that has just gone out of production. In this sense Adrian Hallmark, CEO of Bentley, promised that the company will invest hundreds of millions more in plug-in hybrid technology, knowing that it will remain on sale until the early 2030s.
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