Bentley is pushing back the timeline for transitioning to a full EV system
Auto expert Mike Caudill joins ‘The Bottom Line’ to discuss Ford’s loss of $36K per electric vehicle in Q3 as automakers struggle to get EVs off the lot.
Bentley is delaying the timeline for the planned transition to an all-electric vehicle system.
The luxury car maker unveiled a change to its “Beyond100” program on Thursday, announcing that it will end production of plug-in hybrid electric cars (PHEVs) until 2035.
That marks a five-year extension from the plan outlined in 2020, when Bentley unveiled a goal of switching to a lineup that includes only battery electric vehicles (BEVs) by 2030.
The Bentley logo is seen in Tallinn, Estonia, on Aug. 2, 2022. (Photo by Michal Fludra/NurPhoto via Getty Images / Getty Images)
Under the new “Beyond100+” strategy, Bentley said it aims to release a new PHEV or BEV model “every year for the next decade” as it completes its all-electric drive by 2035.
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“With almost four years to the day when Bentley first unveiled its Beyond100 strategy, we are adapting to today’s economic, market and legal environment to begin a major phase of tomorrow’s transformation,” Bentley CEO Frank-Steffen Walliser said in a statement. “Beyond100+ becomes our guiding light as we extend our ambitions beyond 2030, while maintaining our aim for a zero-emission future, which includes offering only fully electric cars from 2035, and cementing our credentials as a British creator of amazing cars for over a century and beyond.”
Bentley will launch its first fully electric model – the “Luxury Urban SUV” – in 2026. It will be built at its Crewe headquarters.
The Bentley logo is seen outside the factory headquarters of Bentley Motors Ltd. on November 7, 2020, in Crewe, Cheshire, England. (Nathan Stirk/Getty Images/Getty Images)
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The automaker also said that three of its models – Continental GT coupe, Continental GT convertible and Flying Spur – “are now exclusively offered with the Ultra Performance plug-in V8 hybrid powertrain.”
That came after Bentley stopped making its W12 engine in the summer as part of its Beyond100 strategy. The automaker built more than 100,000 W12s during the engine’s lifetime.
The logo of British car maker Bentley is displayed during the “Mondial de l’Auto” at the Parc des Expositions on Oct. 15, 2024, Paris, France. (Chesnot/Getty Images/Getty Images)
Bentley made its first foray into hybrid cars with the Bentayga Hybrid a few years ago.
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In the first six months of 2024, Bentley delivered nearly 5,500 vehicles across its various modules, the automaker reported in late July. Completed 13,560 deliveries by 2023.
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