Bentley Plans To Continue Using Petrol Engines For Current Cars, New EVs To Be Announced in 2026

SAUDI ARABIA: The CEO of Bentley Frank Steffen Walliser announced that the company is planning to continue offering ICE variants of its current line-up, which includes the likes of Continental GT, Flying Spur, and the Bentayga. He has also announced that the brand is planning to offer ICE successors to these models as well.

This statement comes as a shock, as the brand’s official statement and the CEO’s statement contradict each other. The brand had mentioned previously that Bentley will only be launching PHEV or EV versions of the current car lineups, like the Continental GT, Bentayga, and Flying Spur. However, the CEO’s comment seems to indicate that the brand is rolling back its PHEV and EV-focused plans moving forward.

Bentley Future Plans 

The brand has mentioned that they’re going to launch their first EV in 2026. According to the information currently available, the car is expected to be an urban SUV with an electric powertrain. The brand had announced that it would completely phase out ICE cars by 2030. However, due to a lack of demand for luxury EVs, the brand delayed its plans to 2035 to phase out ICE cars. 

Recently, the CEO of Bentley was quoted as saying, “Electrification is still our goal, but we need to take our customers with us. There is a dip in demand for luxury electric vehicles, and customer demand is not yet strong enough to support an all-electric strategy. The luxury market is a lot different today from when we announced Beyond100.”

The announcement of a delay in phasing out ICE cars is not new for Bentley. Previously, other brands under the Volkswagen group, like Porsche and Audi, have also announced delays in completely electrifying their entire line-up.

FAQs

Q1) When will the new EVs from Bentley be launched?

A) The new EVs from Bentley are expected to be launched starting in 2026. The first car to be launched has been hinted at to be an urban SUV.

Q2) Will the new Bentley EVs be available in the KSA?

A) While there’s no information currently available on the availability of the EVs in the KSA, it can be assumed that the cars may be available in the KSA after launch.


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