In November 2020, Bentley announced as part of its ‘Beyond100’ strategy that the entire model range would be converted to fully electric vehicles by 2030. The VW luxury brand has now postponed this target to 2035.
The schedule change is part of the revised corporate strategy ‘Beyond100+’, which the new Bentley CEO Frank-Steffen Walliser, who has been in office since July, has now presented. Walliser is the former Porsche Head of Development and succeeded Adrian Hallmark, who went to Aston Martin.
Walliser said: “Beyond100+ becomes our guiding light as we extend our ambitions beyond 2030 while maintaining our aim of a decarbonized future, including offering only fully electric cars from 2035 and reinforcing our credentials as the British creator of extraordinary cars for over a century and beyond.”
Hybrid transition period
“The program adapts to today’s economic, market, and regulatory environment,” Walliser continued. Walliser’s predecessor, Adrian Hallmark, had already postponed the electric target to 2033 in March and announced that ‘hundreds of millions’ would be invested in plug-in hybrids for the transition period.
The result of this change in strategy can now be seen: the Continental GT Coupé, Continental GT Convertible, and Flying Spur are now being offered exclusively with the new Ultra Performance V8 plug-in hybrid drive, while production of the classic W12 engine in Crewe has been discontinued after more than 20 years.
First EV in 2026
Bentley’s first fully electric vehicle is now definitely due to be launched in 2026. The company expects to “create an entirely new segment, the world’s first true Luxury Urban SUV.”
“It will be the first of a new PHEV or BEV model to be launched every year over the next decade as Bentley’s product and investment offensive continues, with an ambition to build only fully electric cars from 2035, says the press release.
The electric vehicle will be designed, developed, and produced at Crewe’s headquarters. According to earlier reports, it will be based on the Platform Premium Electric (PPE), which Audi and Porsche jointly developed. Bentley has been subordinate to Audi in the VW Group since 2021.
Meanwhile, constructing a ‘Dream Factory’ for Bentley’s electric future at its Crewe site is in full swing. A new design center, a new paint shop, and a new assembly line for electric cars are being built there. With a volume of £2.5 billion (€3 billion), this is the most extensive self-financed investment program in Bentley’s 105-year history.
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