Bentley might be an old school luxury brand, but the company has dipped its toes in the electrification waters with the Bentayga plug-in hybrid.
Roadshow reports the crosover will arrive in the United States late this year and kick off an electrification push for the automaker.
Speaking of the latter, Bentley’s board member for sales and marketing said the company will “bring out hybrid versions of all our models by 2023.” Chris Craft also confirmed the brand’s first electric vehicle will be launched by 2025.
Little is known about the upcoming EV, but Craft said electric vehicles are a “big part of our future.” While EV sales only represent a small faction of the overall automotive market, they’re growing in popularity and Craft noted “Over 30% of luxury buyers are interested in electric cars.”
In a separate interview with Car & Driver, Craft revealed electric vehicles are good fit for Bentley as electric motors deliver instantaneous torque which is a hallmark of the brand. Electric vehicles are also quiet and that’s another aspect that is closely associated with ultra-luxury brands such as Bentley and Rolls-Royce.
Also Read: 2020 Bentley Flying Spur Unveiled As World’s Best “Luxury Grand Touring Sports Sedan”
While Craft didn’t say much about the upcoming hybrids, they’ll presumably include the Continental GT, Flying Spur and Mulsanne. It remains unclear what will power them, but they could use the same powertrain as the Bentayga Hybrid.
As you may recall, the crossover has a turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 engine, an electric motor and an undisclosed battery pack. The company has been coy on specifics, but has previously confirmed the model can be recharged in as little as 2.5 hours and travel over 31 miles (50 km) on electricity alone in the New European Driving Cycle.
