Bentley's first EV delayed to late 2026

Posted on March 19, 2024
General
Bentley's first EV delayed to late 2026

Bentley's first electric car will not debut until late 2026 and will not reach customers until the following year, CEO Adrian Hallmark said Tuesday when he announced the company's 2023 financial results.

This means that the electric car will arrive nearly two years later than 2020, when Bentley first announced its plans. According to Hallmark, the delay is due to software issues and challenges in adapting the platform procured from the Volkswagen Group to the standards required by Bentley.

Hallmark also said that Bentley will delay its earlier plan to sell only EVs by 2030 due to changing market conditions. He said that Bentley will continue to offer plug-in hybrid models in the new decade, but only for the first few years until they are replaced by EV successors.

Bentley is one of a growing number of automakers delaying their EV plans amid slower-than-expected demand for EV vehicles.

Despite the delay in its EV plans, Bentley aims to become a fully electrified brand this decade; Bentley's W-12 engine will cease production in April, and CNBC reported that production of Bentley's V-8 engine will begin in July or August with CNBC reported that production of Bentley's V-8 engines will continue only for plug-in hybrid powertrains, starting in July or August.

Interestingly, Hallmark has previously said that Bentley is in the unique position of having EV batteries that are actually cheaper than W-12 batteries and cannot wait to change to EVs.

The first EV will be a new model line for Bentley, and subsequent EVs will be redesigned versions of existing model lines. The first EV is expected to be a fusion of a sedan and a crossover, possibly similar to the first EV from Lamborghini, another VW Group brand. Lamborghini's electric car is due in 2028 and was teased last year by the Lanzador concept.

You may also like

Ford supercharges MegaZilla V-8 to over 1,000 hp
Ford supercharges MegaZilla V-8 to over 1,000 hp

Ford has taken its already potent MegaZilla V-8 crate engine to the next level with the introduction of the supercharged MegaZilla 2.0.The new engine,...

Jan 30

Morgan unveils first look at new flagship coming in 2025
Morgan unveils first look at new flagship coming in 2025

British sports car manufacturer Morgan is preparing to introduce a new flagship model to replace the Plus Six, which ceased production last year.Morga...

Jan 31

2027 Audi RS 5 Avant plug-in hybrid spotted again
2027 Audi RS 5 Avant plug-in hybrid spotted again

Audi's current A5 family consists of coupe, convertible, and liftback body styles, but the new generation A5, unveiled last year and slated for the 20...

Jan 31

Trending

Ford Mustang Predicts Future of Racing with EV Prototype for NASCAR
Ford Mustang Predicts Future of Racing with EV Prototype for NASCAR

Ford unveiled Thursday what the Mustang Mach-E electric SUV would look like as a NASCAR race car.The prototype is designed to look like a Mach-E, but ...

Jan 31

Ford Mustang Mach E to Conquer 2025 Pikes Peak Hill Climb
Ford Mustang Mach E to Conquer 2025 Pikes Peak Hill Climb

Ford will return to the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb this year with a one-off demonstrator based on the Mustang Mach-E.In a brief statement Thu...

Jan 31

Polestar Arctic Circle Collection like a Swedish rally car.
Polestar Arctic Circle Collection like a Swedish rally car.

Several years ago, Polestar gave its engineers the unique challenge of designing a Polestar 2 optimized for the harsh winter conditions of their home ...

Jan 30