Bentley Ponders Its First All-Electric Car
Volkswagen Group’s Bentley Motors luxury marque tells reporters it must decide within the next 12 months whether to develop an all-electric car.
#hybrid
Volkswagen Group’s Bentley Motors luxury marque tells reporters it must decide within the next 12 months whether to develop an all-electric car.
The company plans plug-in hybrid versions of all its models over the next few years, beginning with the Bentayga crossover vehicle and next-generation Continental GT coupe.
But CEO Adrian Hallmark tells Reuters the company expects to debut a battery-powered model before 2025.
VW Group’s Audi and Porsche brands announced plans in early 2017 to jointly develop an EV platform called PPE (premium platform electric). Porsche has estimated the program will cut combined development costs by 30%. The companies plan to begin marketing EVs that ride on the PPE chassis in 2021.
Bentley is determining whether it could borrow the PPE architecture for its own EV. The company has been weighing options for a battery-powered vehicle for more than two years, starting with a possible electric variant in its Mulsanne flagship sedan.
The marque also unveiled a two-seat electric convertible concept, the EXP 12 Special 6e (pictured), at last year’s Geneva auto show.
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