Bentley cars are the reserve of the rich and famous, and Americans can't seem to get enough of them. These cars are best known for providing top luxury and refinement, with a good dose of performance. Modern Bentley vehicles can be described as rapid, but they've never been too frugal at the pumps. Bentley is however trying to shake the oil baron image by going fully electric by 2030, and one of the first steps to reaching that goal is the introduction of hybrid vehicles. The second step is synthetic fuel, which Bentley has been pioneering alongside sister brand, Porsche.
Combining both of these, the 2022 Bentley Flying Spur Hybrid has just managed a remarkable feat: driving straight across Iceland using only renewable energy. Who says you can't have your cake and eat it?
The 536-horsepower Flying Spur Hybrid - which used a 2.9-liter V6 and an electric motor - completed the journey using only second generation biofuel and geothermally-sourced electricity, and covered the entire 455 mile journey on a single fill up. The Azure Purple Flying Spur Hybrid used fuel that conforms to the same EN228 standard as ordinary pump gasoline but is made completely of biomass (mostly straw) that doesn't take away from the natural ecosystem. With the intelligent electrified powertrain on board, the Flying Spur Hybrid offers a 45 percent in CO2 emissions
"It was great to see the car make the 733 km journey across the country on renewable electricity and green renewable fuel. Driving through the countryside with waterfalls on your left, and volcanos to the right you can visually see where the energy is generated directly, from nature. I think this is the best definition of sustainable energy. Iceland wants to be part of the environmental solution and help others use the knowledge and renewable sources we have here."
Bentley aims to become the world's most environmentally sustainable luxury car manufacturer by 2025 and says it will offer a hybrid powertrain for all its models by 2024, and a full battery-electric by 2025.
"With the launch of the Flying Spur Hybrid we now have a hybrid range at Bentley, and with this challenge we've proved the real benefit of a hybrid - the ability to have an unimpeded grand touring reach of more than 450 miles, while still having usable electric-only range for urban environments. It's truly the best of both worlds, especially when the use of innovative second generation biofuel means a huge drop in CO2 emissions. We'll continue working with such fuels in the coming months as part of our development process, with the end goal of a customer-facing solution." said Matthias Rabe, Bentley's head of engineering.