Bentley has held a press conference called the Beyond 100, which it dedicated to the future of its lineup. Apparently, the company is ready and willing to go all-electric by 2030.
The venue chosen for the event was the same factory where Bentley used to produce its legendary 6.75-liter V8 engine and the Mulsanne sedan, but the talks were all about the future, rather than the past. As it turned out, the company expected its first pure EV to emerge on the market in five years.
For now, those interested in the future of the brand may have a good look at the EXP 100 GT Concept (see video), which pretty much symbolizes the transition into this new era of electric cars. The study has four motors producing 1,500 Newton-meters of torque (1,106 lb-ft), can sprint 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) in 2.5 seconds, and maxes out at 300 km/h (186 mph).
Bentley may be the largest twelve-cylinder car manufacturer on the market right now, but it still acknowledges that around 45 percent of its customers say they are willing to trade their gas-chugging monsters for pure EVs. The electrification will occur in several stages, starting with a couple new plug-in hybrids in 2021, then a complete hybridization of the range by 2023, and a switch to hybrid-only new releases by 2026.
Among other things, the company is going to invest into its Mulliner subdivision, which will continue designing exotic and expensive rides like the Bacalar limited to 12 production units.