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Bentley is delaying its planned transition to an all-electric vehicle lineup.
The luxury automaker on Thursday announced changes to its Beyond 100 initiative, saying it will continue producing plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) through 2035.
This is a five-year extension of plans originally detailed in 2020, when Bentley announced its aim to move to an all-battery electric vehicle (BEV) range by 2030.
Bentley logo seen in Tallinn, Estonia on August 2, 2022. (Photo by Michal Fludra/NurPhoto, Getty Images/Getty Images)
Under its new Beyond 100+ strategy, Bentley says it aims to release a new PHEV or BEV model “every year for the next 10 years” as it completes its drive to become fully electric in 2035. Ta.
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“Nearly four years since Bentley first outlined our Beyond100 strategy, we are adapting to today's economic, market and legislative environment to begin a major transformation phase for tomorrow.” Bentley CEO Frank Steffen Walliser said in a statement. “Beyond100+ will strengthen our British credentials with over a century of creating extraordinary cars, while maintaining our ambitions for a decarbonized future, including offering only fully electric cars from 2035. It will guide us as we extend our ambitions beyond 2030.”
Bentley plans to launch its first all-electric luxury urban SUV in 2026, which will be produced at its Crewe headquarters.
The Bentley logo is seen outside the Bentley Motors headquarters factory in Crewe, Cheshire, England, on November 7, 2020. (Nathan Stark/Getty Images/Getty Images)
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The company also said that three models – Continental GT Coupe, Continental GT Convertible and Flying Spur – “are now exclusively offered with an Ultra Performance plug-in V8 hybrid powertrain.”
This happened after Bentley discontinued production of the W12 engine over the summer as part of its then-Beyond100 strategy. The automaker built more than 100,000 W12s over the engine's lifespan.
The logo of British car manufacturer Bentley was displayed during the “Mondial de Haute” held at the Parc des Expositions in Paris, France on October 15, 2024. (Chesnot/Getty Images/Getty Images)
Bentley made its first foray into hybrid cars a few years ago with the Bentayga Hybrid.
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Bentley delivered approximately 5,500 vehicles across various modules in the first six months of 2024, the automaker reported in late July. In 2023, a total of 13,560 units will be delivered.
