Bentley has an ambitious plan to electrify its entire lineup by 2023 – but that doesn’t mean that the British manufacturer of exotic cars will be rushing to launch its first zero-emission model soon. And it’s not just because there’s no demand for a Bentley EV, but because the company wants to wait until battery technology improves.
“We will launch our first battery electric vehicle in the mid-2020s because in five years we expect that increasing the power density – or the introduction of semiconductor batteries – will improve by 30% and more performs.”
Here’s what Bentley boss Adrian Hallmark said Top Gear in a recent interview essentially confirming that we are four or five years away from the launch of Crewe’s first fully electric car. Range and price are obviously the biggest concern of customers today, Hallmark acknowledged, and batteries need to get better and more affordable before Bentley decides to jump on the EV train.
“Batteries cost six times the price of an engine, and an engine is 20% of the cost of a car,” said Hallmark. “By 2025/26, with the known track record, we will be able to build an appropriate Bentley EV. The right wheelbase, the right amount of occupants, the right size and shape.”
Interestingly, Hallmark hinted that Bentley’s first electric vehicle deal could have come from the British coachbuilder Mulliner in the form of an electrified vintage car – a costly, low-range, low-volume special recreation of a classic model from Bentley.
Bentley has an ambitious plan to electrify its entire lineup by 2023 – but that doesn’t mean that the British manufacturer of exotic cars will be rushing to launch its first zero-emission model soon. And it’s not just because there’s no demand for a Bentley EV, but because the company wants to wait until battery technology improves.
“We will launch our first battery electric vehicle in the mid-2020s because in five years we expect that increasing the power density – or the introduction of semiconductor batteries – will improve by 30% and more performs.”
Here’s what Bentley boss Adrian Hallmark said Top Gear in a recent interview essentially confirming that we are four or five years away from the launch of Crewe’s first fully electric car. Range and price are obviously the biggest concern of customers today, Hallmark acknowledged, and batteries need to get better and more affordable before Bentley decides to jump on the EV train.
“Batteries cost six times the price of an engine, and an engine is 20% of the cost of a car,” said Hallmark. “By 2025/26, with the known track record, we will be able to build an appropriate Bentley EV. The right wheelbase, the right amount of occupants, the right size and shape.”
Interestingly, Hallmark hinted that Bentley’s first electric vehicle deal could have come from the British coachbuilder Mulliner in the form of an electrified vintage car – a costly, low-range, low-volume special recreation of a classic model from Bentley.