Bentley puts the brakes on and delays its electric car: it will first launch plug-in hybrid models

The agenda of almost all manufacturers plans to abandon combustion-engine cars before 2035. But reality has had its say, and the arrival of electric cars appears to be slowing down and is not as rapid as it seemed. Bentley belongs to the Volkswagen group, and we already know that the company has put the brakes on electric car launches, although it has not abandoned them.

Bentley announced that its first electric car would arrive in 2025, and that this first model would be followed by three more that would allow the brand to complete its full transition to electric mobility. But that will not be possible, as it has run into several problems with the platform and the software it has to use.

Delay in the launch of the first electric Bentley

The planned date for the launch of Bentley’s first electric model was 2025. It was to be presented that year, with first deliveries expected to begin in mid-2026. With the delay announced by the brand, the presentation will take place in 2026 and deliveries will begin from the summer of 2027.

However, Bentley is not abandoning the electrification of its models. It’s just that, for now, the company will work with plug-in hybrid engines. Cars with this drivetrain will receive additional investment, because they want to boost electrification, even though the electric car will not launch on the planned date.

What does seem to be arriving on time is the disappearance of pure combustion engines. By 2026, all models sold by Bentley will have a plug-in hybrid engine, so the path is being laid, though in a different way than planned.

At present, the company offers plug-in hybrid versions of the Flying Spur and of the brand’s SUV, the Bentayga. This summer, versions of this kind will also arrive for the coupé versions of the Continental GT and the Flying Spur. These use a V6 engine, but they will now be available with V8 engines, which represents an upgrade that will offer drivers a better experience.

All models will remain available with pure combustion engines, but from 2026 onwards they will only be available with a plug-in hybrid engine. These models will allow the brand to keep advancing in electric mobility without depending entirely on the electric vehicle.

The decision joins that of Aston Martin, which has also decided to delay the launch of its electric vehicle, so it is in line with other manufacturers. By the way, Bentley sales fell 11% in 2022, although these figures have a lot to do with the reduction in production of vehicles due to the shift to electric mobility. With this move, sales are expected to grow again and Bentley cars are expected to capture buyers’ attention once more.