The deadline for Bentley to switch to electric vehicles (EVs) has been put back from 2030 to 2035. It will, however, keep working on PHEVs after 2030, until 2035. The Crewe-based company’s first electric vehicle, an urban SUV, was scheduled for release the following year. However, Bentley has delayed the date and the first EV is now scheduled for 2026, much like other automakers.
In 2020, Bentley unveiled its ambitious Beyond100 business plan, which calls for the company to introduce its first electric vehicle in 2025 and transition to an all-EV brand by 2030. However, former Bentley CEO Adrian Hallmark said earlier this year that the timeframe will be pushed back to 2032/33 due to the premium market’s slower-than-expected demand for EVs. The updated Beyond100 plan now includes the “ambition” of only producing fully electric vehicles starting in 2035, while maintaining its popular lineup of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles until then.
The Continental GT and Flying Spur are now available with a V8 PHEV drivetrain after the company’s legendary W12 engine was phased out. The eSUV will be the first of ten EV or PHEV models that Bentley will introduce year, beginning in 2026, according to the company’s new Beyond100 plan. However, the number of EVs and plug-in hybrids that will make up these ten has not been verified by the corporation.
A major expansion of Bentley’s lineup beyond the current four models is hinted at, albeit the firm has not yet disclosed whether each of these cars will be a completely new model or only powertrain modifications of current ones. In the meantime, the company might keep releasing new versions with pure combustion. Actually, the Bentayga will get a new pure-combustion version the following year.
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