The world is in the midst of some massive changes. The 21st century has seen an unprecedented rise in environmental consciousness, and new eco-friendly technology is cropping up just about everywhere you look—especially in the automotive industry. Hybrid and electric vehicle sales are at historic highs this year, and it’s showing no sign of slowing down.
Still, the question remains: if we want to go green, does that mean we have to sacrifice luxury and performance?
If you ask Bentley, the answer is a resounding no. With the Beyond100 initiative, Bentley has already made leaps and bounds in upscale hybrid cars, and they’re committed to bringing us the most luxurious electric SUVs in the world in just a few short years.
Read on to discover the world of all-electric Bentley.
The Bentley Hybrid Range
With their initial announcement back in 2018, Bentley became the first luxury automaker to offer a hybrid vehicle. Two out of the five current models—the Bentayga and the Flying Spur—are now available with a plug-in hybrid powertrain.
The Bentley Bentayga plug-in hybrid touts a 3.0L turbocharged V6 engine, while the Flying Spur plug-in hybrid sports a 2.9L turbocharged V6. Much like other EVs, the E motor of these luxury hybrid vehicles provides lightning-fast torque for uncompromising zero-to-sixty speeds, while also greatly reducing emissions.
Thanks to the lithium-ion battery, fully electric driving is now possible. After only a couple of hours of charging, they can drive for miles without burning a single drop of gasoline. In their review of the 2024 Flying Spur hybrid, the experts at Car and Driver were able to go a full 35 miles on the highway before having to engage the gas engine.
Bentley hybrids are also outfitted with a wealth of additional features, such as updated diagnostic displays, automatic battery charging, integrated charge location navigation, and brake and accelerator pedals outfitted with haptic feedback.
Both the Bentayga luxury hybrid SUV and Flying Spur luxury hybrid car are available across nearly all trim levels, including the standard, A, S, Azure, and Mulliner models.
The three remaining mass production models—the Continental GT, Continental GTC, and Bentayga EWB—are rumored to be receiving the hybrid treatment sometime in the near future, but so far, no official announcement has been made. Bentley has a lot more in store than just the advancement of their hybrid range, though.
The Commitment to Carbon Neutrality
As of a few years ago, Bentley’s production plant in Crewe in the northwest of England has been officially certified as carbon neutral. This “Dream Factory” is decades in the making, and serves as ground zero for Bentley’s efforts toward becoming fully climate neutral by the year 2030.
In addition to their growing list of hybrid offerings, Bentley has committed to a “Five-in-Five” plan. This plan states that starting in 2025, they will be releasing a new electric luxury car every year for five years straight—a lofty goal, but if any automaker can achieve it, it’s Bentley.
Other forays into green auto tech include new and improved methods of manufacturing vehicle components, as well as experimentation with new forms of fuel for internal combustion engines like the soon-to-be-extinct Bentley W12. Recently, Bentley drove one of their Flying Spur models all the way around Iceland using a new fuel prototype, which resulted in a 45% reduction in carbon emissions over the course of the journey.
The Electric Bentley: Coming Soon
In 2019, on the hundred-year anniversary of the company’s founding, the striking concept for the EXP 100 GT was unveiled. The purpose of this Bentley electric car concept was to envision what a truly bespoke luxury EV might look like in the year 2035. It may seem far-fetched now, but remember, we’re scarcely a decade away.
Sooner still, we expect to see concrete details about the first-ever Bentley EV, which is due in just one year. In an interview with Automotive New Europe, Bentley CEO Adrian Hallmark stated that the electric Bentley would have an outrageous 1400 horsepower, and be able to go from full-stop to sixty in just a second and a half. We aren’t quite sure whether to be excited, intimidated, or both.
If you, like us, are itching for more news about the upcoming EV Bentley announcement, be sure to subscribe to their mailing list to receive the updates as they roll in. And, if you simply can’t wait, contact Bentley Miami on our website, or stop by 2060 Biscayne Boulevard to inquire about a Bentley hybrid car for sale in Miami.
