Acknowledging that there is still a lot of work to be done, Bentley said it will be forced to delay its goal of fully electrifying products to 2026.
The British luxury car brand is aiming to completely electrify its product line. However, according to the latest developments, it seems Bentley has to delay this plan.
Speaking to Automotive News Europe , Bentley CEO Adrian Hallmark acknowledged that the company's plan to produce its first commercial electric vehicle will be moved to 2026.
He declined to elaborate on the specific cause of the delay, but believes the issue will be resolved "within a few months".
“Building an electric car is a rigorous process, as Bentley has to conduct unprecedented research and development,” admits Adrian Hallmark.
According to Automobilwoche , Audi is also facing similar difficulties in its electrification plan called Artemis.
To reassure, the CEO said that the first electric car bearing the Bentley logo will still be presented to the public in 2025 as planned.
Previously, Bentley had announced plans to launch up to 5 electric car models in the future.
Although there is little information, observers believe that the first electric car model of the British car company will be a coupe.
Adrian Hallmark once revealed that a version of the electric Bentley will be listed for no less than 250,000 euros.
The CEO also said that Bentley's first electric car will have a capacity of up to 1,400 horsepower, providing the ability to accelerate to 100 km / h in just 1.5 seconds from a stationary position.
In February, Adrian Hallmark revealed that Bentley will start testing its first electric car later this year.
Bentley's CEO said that the exterior design of this electric car is about 80-85% complete, while the interior has reached 95% of the luxury expectations set by the company.
“There are still some things that need to be improved, and we will continue our work,” Adrian Hallmark said at a webinar.
The Bentley CEO also admitted that the British luxury car company is looking for a modern charging technology to equip its electric cars.
According to Adrian Hallmark, the new technology will allow car owners to fully charge electric cars without having to plug in wires from traditional charging stations.
Now co-researched by Continental Engineering Services and startup Volterio, the set of devices the Bentley CEO mentioned includes one device that is attached to the vehicle, while the other sits on the parking floor.
When the driver puts the car in a parking position, the two devices will connect and start charging the car. According to the developers, the allowable distance error between the two devices is up to 30 cm.
Adrian Hallmark also said that Bentley's car product price spectrum is quite even, there is no difference. Therefore, the CEO said that the company is planning to adjust the selling price to expand the customer base.
Therefore, Carscoops predicts there will be a few electric Bentley models at a lower price than the company's current internal combustion engine cars. At the same time, Bentley will also introduce electric models that are sold at higher prices.