- First Bentley EV due in 2026
- First EV will probably be an SUV smaller than the Bentayga
- Bentley goals to grow to be totally electrical model by 2035
Bentley has scaled again its electrification plans within the face of slower than anticipated progress in demand for electrical autos however will nonetheless launch a automobile powered solely by batteries by the beforehand introduced date of 2026, CEO Frank-Steffen Walliser mentioned throughout a press convention held on Thursday.
Bentley solely two years in the past was planning to launch its first EV by the center of the last decade and observe it up with a new EV yearly for the following 4 years, in an effort to grow to be a totally electrical model by 2030.
Nonetheless, the automaker now plans to launch simply the one EV, confirmed by Walliser on Thursday as an SUV, and can add extra relying on how the market turns. Walliser mentioned Bentley is open to launching a brand new EV or plug-in hybrid yearly after the primary EV, and presently targets a swap to a totally electrical lineup by 2035.
Through the convention, Matthias Rabe, Bentley’s head of engineering, mentioned Bentley EVs will solely use devoted EV platforms, so there will not be any fashions providing the selection of electrical or plug-in hybrid powertrains. In keeping with him, the packaging calls for are simply so completely different that compromises would have to be made.
Frank-Steffen Walliser
This implies Bentley’s debut EV will not be associated to some other Bentley mannequin. It is going to be a brand new mannequin line, and is described by Walliser as a “luxurious city SUV.” It’s going to measure lower than 197 inches lengthy, which can make it smaller than the Bentayga which measures 202 inches nostril to tail, and be extra agile than a typical Bentley. In keeping with Walliser, this can make it simpler to drive in city areas and is meant to draw patrons which can be new to the model.
Walliser has beforehand expressed that almost all of Bentley’s current prospects don’t need EVs, however that there is additionally a phase of patrons on the market in search of high-end EVs. For these patrons, he mentioned, it is about the entire expertise, not simply the drivetrain.
Only a few particular particulars on the primary EV had been revealed through the convention, however Rabe revealed that there will probably be distinct sound that the automobile makes. He mentioned the automobile will not have an artificial sound, like what many different automakers are doing, however as a substitute may have a novel setup that “nobody is doing.” He additionally mentioned the EV may have adequate vary, and that Bentley will focus extra on delivering a really quick charging pace.
