A number of manufacturers have started introducing and even producing their first electric model to the public. But not so with Bentley, the British manufacturer has even postponed the production of its first electric model until 2026. However, a number of executives at Bentley refused to provide reasons for the withdrawal of the electric vehicle production.
āOur electric vehicle manufacturing process turned out to be demanding to do pre-development work that we had never done with previous programs. This of course has an effect on the actual production schedule scheduled in the near future,ā said Bentley CEO, Adrian Hallmark.
On the other hand, Hallmark also confirmed that Bentley’s plans to switch to pure electric vehicles will soon materialize and that its first model is expected to be a Coupe. This statement also refutes speculation by some parties about Bentley’s first electric model being a crossover.
Reportedly, the Bentley EV Coupe will carry a large engine and produce maximum power of up to 1,400 hp with the ability to accelerate from 0-100 in just 1.5 seconds. There are even a number of leaks quoted from Carscoops that one variant of the Bentley EV will be priced at more than USD 250,000.
Hallmark also explained that the process that Bentley is currently working on for its electric vehicle has reached the design stage. According to him, the Bentley EV will offer a more progressive look than some existing models, although he also did not state that the design process was the cause of the delay.
The Bentley EV is rumored to be based on the EXP 100 GT Concept which was introduced in 2019. Although an electric vehicle, Bentley will not follow the current electric vehicle design but adopt the base of a grand tourer sedan. Later the Bentley EV itself will use the Premium Performance Electric platform developed with Audi.
Bentley also ensures that it will embed a number of improvements in its first electric vehicle, from battery technology, drive units to performance matters. In addition, several interesting features will be available, such as autonomous technology, connected cars, and other innovations related to consumer comfort and safety.
In addition to the Bentley EV based on the EXP 100 GT Concept, there will reportedly be five new models introduced until 2030 and all of them are purely electric. One of them is a replacement for the Mulsanne, which was injected dead in 2020 and will be replaced with a more luxurious EV Coupe.
The segment that the electric Bentley will also target in the future is the SUV, considering that in a number of countries such as America the demand for this model is quite increasing. Even now his only SUV, the Bentayga, has arrived in a Hybrid version.
Bentley Bentayga plug-in hybrid itself is equipped with a 3.0-liter turbo V6 engine combined with an electric motor and is capable of producing 447 hp and a peak torque of 700 Nm. The electric motor is powered by a 17.3 kWh battery which can operate independently for 51 km.
