Published

Bentley EV in the Works

Volkswagen AG’s Bentley unit has decided not to add a small crossover vehicle to its lineup and is moving forward instead with plans for an electric car, Autocar reports.
#hybrid

Share

Volkswagen AG’s Bentley unit has decided not to add a small crossover vehicle to its lineup and is moving forward instead with plans for an electric car, Autocar reports.

“We’re favoring a car with a full electric powertrain,” Bentley chief Wolfgang Durheimer tells the U.K. enthusiast magazine. Noting that an EV’s torque and acceleration characteristics fit Bentley’s performance-oriented character, Durheimer says his intent is to make the brand the luxury segment leader in electrification.

The EV—Bentley’s first such model—likely would be a midsize sports car that shares a platform with Porsche’s Mission E sports car that’s due in 2019, according to Autocar. This would make it larger than the concept EXP12 Speed 6e two-seater Bentley displayed earlier this year at the Geneva auto show.

Speaking at this week’s Frankfurt auto show, Durheimer confirmed plans for three plug-in hybrid models. In addition to the previously announced plug-in hybrid variant of the Bentayga crossover/SUV, Bentley also is developing hybrid versions of its Continental and Flying Spur models.

RELATED CONTENT

  • Internal Combustion Engines’ Continued Domination (?)

    According to a new research study by Deutsche Bank, “PCOT III: Revisiting the Outlook for Powertrain Technology” (that’s “Pricing the Car of Tomorrow”), to twist a phrase from Mark Twain, it seems that the reports of the internal combustion engine’s eminent death are greatly exaggerated.

  • What the VW ID. BUGGY Indicates

    Volkswagen will be presenting a concept, the ID. BUGGY, a contemporary take on a dune buggy, based on the MEB electric platform that the company will be using for a wide array of production vehicles, at the International Geneva Motor Show.

  • Bolt EV: Like a Hammer Through a Screen

    Some of you may remember the Apple “1984” commercial that ran on January 22, 1984, the ad that announced the Macintosh to the world.

Gardner Business Media - Strategic Business Solutions