- Bentley has abandoned its plan to only sell EVs by 2030
- Bentley still plans to launch its first EV in late 2026
- Rivals Aston Martin and Rolls-Royce still expected to launch multiple EVs this decade
Bentley only two years ago was committed to launching five electric vehicles this decade on the road to becoming a pure EV brand as soon as 2030. However, the slowdown in EV growth this year has the automaker rethinking those plans.
Speaking with Car and Driver in an interview published on Wednesday, Bentley CEO Frank-Steffen Walliser said buyers in luxury segments still want gas engines, whether that's as a standalone powertrain or paired with a plug-in hybrid system.
"What we see in the luxury market right now (is that) people reject electric cars," Walliser, who only took over the reins at Bentley on July 1, told Car and Driver. "They consider luxury cars only with the combustion engine."
As a result, Bentley will slow down the rollout of new EVs and will only aspire to becoming a full EV brand by the mid-2030s, Walliser said, as opposed to setting the goal as a hard target.
Frank-Steffen Walliser
The automaker still plans to stick to its goal of launching its first EV in late 2026, a vehicle Walliser reaffirmed would be in a new segment. He said Bentley is too small to be able to offer both an EV and a model with a gas engine in the same segment, due to the limited return on investment.
Instead of replacing its current lineup with EVs, as the automaker had originally planned, Bentley will now introduce plug-in hybrid technology across the range, which it is in the process of doing with its updated Continental GT and Flying Spur models.
Walliser in his interview with Car and Driver said there may still be a place for models powered purely by a gas engine, for example in low-volume special editions or if carbon-neutral e-fuels become widespread.
While Bentley is toning down its EV plans, archrival Rolls-Royce is expected to press ahead with the launch of an electric SUV and electric sedan to join its Spectre electric coupe. Aston Martin also has several EVs on the drawing board, though the automaker has hinted that these may be pushed back.
