In addition to its sublime V8 and W12 engines, Bentley offers an electrified 3.0-liter V6 engine that powers the Bentayga Hybrid. However, the luxury brand doesn't have a single fully-electric car in its current model lineup. That will change within the next decade because Bentley has a bold plan to reinvent itself as an all-electric brand by 2030. Before then, its entire model lineup will have plug-in hybrid powertrains by 2025.
According to Autocar, Bentley's first-ever electric model will arrive in 2025 and take the form of a luxury sedan that will blow the Mercedes EQS away. Underpinning the unnamed luxury EV will be a new advanced EV platform designed by Audi adapted from the top-secret Project Artemis program. Bentley hasn't decided if new electric models will share the same nameplates as its combustion-powered counterparts but didn't rule out the possibility of launching electric versions of the Flying Spur, Continental GT, and Bentayga.
Bentley chairman Adrian Hallmark says he wants to broaden the brand's appeal to more women and "be more relevant in future urban environments which are very much different to today."
While Bentley doesn't anticipate battery technology to advance significantly in the near future, the company boss believes continuous improvements will help the automaker meet predicted range targets. By 2025, Bentley expects 110-kWh to 120-kWh batteries to be available, which will enable larger EVs to offer electric driving ranges between 250 and 310 miles.
"We think that BEVs with medium-size cars in that 2025-2030 range become feasible, and larger [electric] cars are post-2030, which is why 2030 is the date we plan to change everything," Hallmark explained.
As a result, it's unlikely that Bentley will initially offer electric versions of the Continental or Flying Spur long-distance grand tourers or the Bentayga SUV until battery technology improves. Instead, Bentley is expected to focus on crossover-style cars priced similarly to the Porsche Taycan, which starts at $103,800. These EVs will initially be sold alongside Bentley's combustion-powered models as demand for EVs continues to rise.
Bentley's first EV will adopt a sedan body style with an aerodynamic design inspired by the futuristic EXP 100 GT concept. Like the Jaguar I-Pace, it will be taller than a traditional sedan to accommodate the underfloor batteries. After Bentley's first electric sedan debuts in 2025, Bentley will unleash "a family of EVs" with different bodystyles based on Audi's Project Artemis platform.