Photo: Bentley
Remember the EXP 12 Speed 6e concept? Bentley revealed the all-electric sports car in March 2017 at the Geneva Motor Show, and the exterior design trickled down to the Continental GT. On the downside, Crewe decided not to go forward with a production model, at least not for the time being.
Bentley is interested in electric vehicles in the long run, but it’ll be a slow burn according to the British automaker. “I can’t give a date for the first BEV,” said Adrian Hallmark. “It’ll be before 2025, though,” and that’s reassuring given that none other than the chief executive officer confirmed the car’s development.
At the present moment, the Bentayga Hybrid is the only Bentley with alternative propulsion in the range. The V6-engined PHEV will be joined by the Continental GT and Flying Spur, and Hallmark told Autocar.co.uk “we’ll hybridize everything we have.” A bold statement given the British automaker’s experience with large-displacement powerplants, but then again, the emissions regulations are more stringent with each and every year.
Being a part of the Volkswagen Group, there’s no denying Bentley will be helped by Audi and Porsche to go all-electric. The two are working on the Premium Platform Electric as we speak, and even Lamborghini is interested in this vehicle architecture for all the right reasons.
“I always thought plug-in hybrids were a very temporary stopgap and not a long-term solution,” said Hallmark. “We’ve got to be decisive - mandating charging points in every residential property or standardized charging protocols.” Ah, the good ol’ problem of infrastructure! It is easier said than done, but as long as Big Oil is calling the shots, developing the infrastructure to sustainable levels will be nigh on impossible in most countries.
Hydrogen fuel cells are the alternative to BEVs, but infrastructure problems are even greater with FCVs. Japan is at the forefront of hydrogen fuelling stations, planning to open 80 locations by 2022 thanks to an alliance of 11 local companies. The alliance is called Japan H2 Mobility LLC, and Toyota Motor Corp. is one of those companies.
At the present moment, the Bentayga Hybrid is the only Bentley with alternative propulsion in the range. The V6-engined PHEV will be joined by the Continental GT and Flying Spur, and Hallmark told Autocar.co.uk “we’ll hybridize everything we have.” A bold statement given the British automaker’s experience with large-displacement powerplants, but then again, the emissions regulations are more stringent with each and every year.
Being a part of the Volkswagen Group, there’s no denying Bentley will be helped by Audi and Porsche to go all-electric. The two are working on the Premium Platform Electric as we speak, and even Lamborghini is interested in this vehicle architecture for all the right reasons.
“I always thought plug-in hybrids were a very temporary stopgap and not a long-term solution,” said Hallmark. “We’ve got to be decisive - mandating charging points in every residential property or standardized charging protocols.” Ah, the good ol’ problem of infrastructure! It is easier said than done, but as long as Big Oil is calling the shots, developing the infrastructure to sustainable levels will be nigh on impossible in most countries.
Hydrogen fuel cells are the alternative to BEVs, but infrastructure problems are even greater with FCVs. Japan is at the forefront of hydrogen fuelling stations, planning to open 80 locations by 2022 thanks to an alliance of 11 local companies. The alliance is called Japan H2 Mobility LLC, and Toyota Motor Corp. is one of those companies.
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