Electricity in the air at Bentley

After announcing that its first hybrid car will be unveiled next year, Bentley has confirmed that all-electric cars are part of its strategy going forward.

Chief engineer Rolf Fench said, ‘I think there will be an answer within the next six months to a year to decide which direction we will go. But of course electric will be a future strategy direction for Bentley.’

As part of the Volkswagen Group, Bentley’s decision could be motivated by the emissions scandal that has prompted the group to move more aggressively towards zero-emission cars.

Fench said last year’s Porsche’s Mission E concept could be used as a template for Bentley. Porsche is using Mission E technology to develop an electric car that should be ready for the road by the end of the decade, boasting 15-minute charging times and 200-mile range.

Fench said, ‘We not only have the ability to use the [Mission E] platform but we can also use a lot of these modules to bring into our car.’

But before Bentley launches a fully electric car, it plans to redesign each of its models to offer a plug-in hybrid option.