- Bentley has pushed its timeline to go all-electric back five years to 2035
- The automaker's first EV will arrive in 2027 and be an SUV
- Bentley will keep PHEVs in its lineup until 2035, and BEVs will remain separate products.
Bentley has also revised its electrification plans, but still expects to have a an all-electric system by 2035the automaker announced Thursday.
In January 2022, Bentley announced plans to introduce five electric vehicles within five years from 2025, leading to an all-EV lineup by 2030. The launch of that first EV was pushed back to 2026, a timeline that still works, Bentley said. CEO Frank-Steffen Walliser said at a press conference that the market will be launched in 2027 and prototypes are currently being tested.
That first all-electric model would be a “luxury urban SUV” that won't replace any existing Bentley models, Walliser said, adding that it will be the “compact Bentley” at about 196 inches long. That's 5.8 inches shorter than the current Bentley Bentayga SUV. Future Bentley EVs also won't share platforms with its all-electric or plug-in models because of packaging disadvantages, said Matthias Rabe, Bentley's head of research and development.
2024 Bentley Bentayga Apex Edition
“Charging speeds it will be amazingly good, and the range will be enough,” said Walliser, explaining that total travel time is what Bentley is focused on, and that this can be kept reasonable with a combination of fast charging and range. Those comments were echoed by Rabbe, who added that engineers are looking for a replacement for the finish the sounds of Bentleys with internal combustion.
“We don't just want to copy something, and we don't just want to do something that's just artificial,” Rabbe said, promising a new sound approach that isn't currently being used by any other EV maker.
Along with its first EV, Bentley plans to introduce a new plug-in hybrid or all-electric model before switching to selling only electric vehicles in 2035. Walliser confirmed that plug-in hybrids will remain on the lineup until then, helpfully. aligning what he sees as weak demand in the luxury EV market with emissions regulations that are expected to demand more.
Bentley Continental GT Speed in Tourmaline Green
“The law drives electrification,” and competition from other automakers, Walliser said, but added that on the other hand, there is “not a lot of demand” for EVs among current Bentley customers. But Bentley's CEO sees demand from new customers who want “a modern definition. for Bentley” and believes existing customers can be won over once they drive an EV.
Bentley currently offers plug-in hybrid versions of every model, but it's unclear whether the automaker will stick to a plan announced in 2020 to phase out independent combustion powertrains. At least one non-hybrid version of the Bentayga is planned, Rabbe said. Bentley will continue to produce plug-in hybrids as long as there is a need, he said, meaning the 2035 deadline to phase them out could be flexible.
Walliser said in a recent interview that he expects advances in battery technology and growth in charging infrastructure will create better conditions for EVs around 2035. Given that this is in line with Bentley's current EV plans, there's probably a better chance that those plans will actually come to fruition— giving Bentley the all-electric plan that's been discussed, on and off, for a decade.