New Delhi: British luxury carmaker Bentley first announced its electrification strategy in November 2020 with the Beyond 100 plan, which would see Bentley become the only electric carbon-neutral brand by 2030. Accelerating those plans, the crew-based carmaker has now set a definitive timeline, according to which the firm will launch five electric models in five years from 2025, the first of which is likely to be a high-riding saloon.
According to Bentley CEO Adrian Hallmark, the development and design of the first model, due out in late 2025, is well under way. “We know the battery and the performance of the battery. The final design is a few weeks to a few months away. We will have an incremental product for today’s products and will not compete with everything we do. We want to not only make an EV but also shape a segment.”
The first two to three electric models will be very similar in terms of battery technology, and then subsequent cars will be capable of new developments. These improvements will be “retro-implemented” in the first installment of the Bentley EV. He confirmed that the first model will comfortably have a range of over 300 miles.
read also
Sales and marketing boss Alain Favi said charging an EV really should be a luxury experience. “The speed and comfort of charging away from home is perhaps the most important thing for our customers. We have time to work on it.”
Bentley will expand its Crewe base with a nearby greenfield facility. Collectively, the so-called ‘Dream Factory’ aims to become a digital, zero-environmental impact, flexible and high-value manufacturing facility.
Having already achieved carbon-neutral production in 2019, Bentley aims to reduce water consumption, waste from landfills and other environmental impacts for every vehicle built in Crewe by 2030.
Meanwhile, this year, along with the existing Bentley Bentayga and Bentley Flying Spur plug-in hybrid, Bentley will launch five more hybrid derivatives of those two models, all of which will be V6-powered. A more powerful V8 PHEV is expected down the line, with a similar set-up already offered in the Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid. The firm estimates that 20% of this year’s sales will be from hybrid cars.
In India, Bentley continues to offer models like the Bentayga, Flying Spur and Continental GT, including a plug-in hybrid version of the Flying Spur luxury saloon. However, there is no new launch line from Bentley in India in the near future.