The plan announced by Bentley for its second 100 years of life is a decidedly ambitious plan. It has been dubbed Five-in-Five and plans to launch five new all-electric models from 2025 to 2029. One every year. And from 2030 onwards, the list of the glorious British brand will be entirely made up of battery-powered models, so today’s 6,8 and 12-cylinders will completely disappear.
To achieve this result, 3 billion euros will be allocated over the next ten years, a figure that also provides for the complete decarbonisation of the entire production chain to achieve total zero environmental impact. However, taking advantage of the experiences that other VW Group brands (Porsche in the first place) are conducting, the use of biofuels will also be tested so that the historic fleet can continue to drive with the lowest possible environmental impact.
According to Adrian Hallmark, CEO of the House, it is the boldest plan ever in Bentley history but this will not prevent the company from becoming a real “dream factory”, as well as the reference brand among those dedicated to extra luxury. Electric Bentleys will be faster, sportier and more fun to drive to attract a younger clientele than the current ones, and the electrification project will not lead to entry into lower, less profitable market segments.
The new “zero emissions” models will obviously take advantage of what has been developed so far within the Artemis project, aimed at creating a platform for electric super-sedans that will also carry the Audi and Porsche brands, but will be developed and produced in the headquarters historic Crewe.
Already by the end of this year, however, 20% of the Bentleys delivered will be electrified, thanks to the entry into the range of the plug-in hybrid versions of Bentayga and, more recently, of the Flying Spur. And the goal is to further improve market performance, which between 2020 and 2021 even recorded + 31% in sales and the historical record of almost 15,000 cars delivered worldwide.
