Previously, in January 2020, Bentley announced its “Beyond 100” strategy, aiming for sustainable development and providing only hybrid vehicles (plug-in electric vehicles or battery electric vehicles) by 2026. In addition, the company also completely switched to electric vehicles by 2030 and will launch 5 new BEV models from 2025.
However, Bentley recently reconsidered this strategy when it realized that the rate of electric car users was not proportional. According to the company's CEO, electric cars are infrastructure-based technology and this technology is often overrated in terms of speed, while the level of use is low.
Through the survey, the company found that consumers were not ready to accept electric cars and when considering buying a high-end car, customers only thought of internal combustion engines. On the other hand, the company did not have the capacity to create separate lines of internal combustion engines and electric cars like other car manufacturers. Therefore, Bentley was forced to switch to plug-in hybrid cars to meet the needs of many customers.
However, when asked about a full switch to PHEV, Bentley's CEO said that PHEV could be one of the solutions but no final decision has been made. The CEO also mentioned synthetic e-fuel (a combination of CO2 and hydrogen) produced by clean electricity sources.
In the near future, Bentley plans to introduce its first electric car around 2026 and launch it 1 year later, aiming for full electrification by the mid-2030s.
According to the company, this electric car model will be a new product and completely different from the popular models today. This move is an important part in minimizing risks, increasing electric car production while still retaining customers who prefer gasoline or hybrid cars.
In the future, the company can still produce internal combustion engine cars, but only for limited production versions.
