Bentley Delays Its First EV and Pushes Back Electrification Date

Bentley intended to introduce its first electric model in 2025—but that's not happening. CEO Adrian Hallmark told Automotive News Europe the EV has been delayed by a year because of technical problems caused by software issues as well as "platform-related concerns." Crewe's inaugural EV is now expected to break cover near the end of 2026, but customer deliveries won't start until 2027.

Separately, Autocar has learned Bentley is also pushing back its goal to become entirely electric by the end of the decade. According to the new agenda, the ultra-luxury British brand wants to completely get rid of gasoline cars by 2033. The three-year delay will allow the company to invest more in plug-in hybrids to provide a smoother transition to an EV-only lineup early into the next decade.

The inaugural EV is going to be manufactured at home in the UK and will be underpinned by the Premium Platform Electric co-developed by Porsche and Audi. The first PPE-based models have been recently revealed as the second-generation Macan in January and the Q6 E-Tron earlier this week. While all three brands sit underneath the Volkswagen Group umbrella, Audi technically owns Bentley (as well as Lamborghini and Ducati) since 2022.

The decision to delay the EV isn't surprising. The Macan and Q6 E-Tron were also supposed to arrive sooner, per the original announcements. Before the first zero-emission model arrives, Bentley is preparing to launch a high-performance plug-in hybrid setup based around a V-8. It'll indirectly replace the venerable W-12, which is sadly going away with the 740-horsepower Batur.

The company's head honcho admits Bentley had estimated demand for hybrids would decrease closer to the end of the decade, but it's now expected to rise. Consequently, the high-end automaker is pouring "hundreds of millions" into a new wave of PHEVs that'll remain on sale early into the next decade to meet demand.

We'll be seeing that punchy V8 PHEV setup in the GT, GTC, and Flying Spur later in 2024. The current V-6 PHEV is staying while the Bentayga will retain its pure gasoline powertrain until 2026 when the posh SUV is set to become electric-only.

The now-delayed EV won't replace an existing