Bentley unveils plug-in hybrid SUV Bentayga and plans for new electrified lineup

Bentley unveils plug-in hybrid SUV Bentayga and plans for new electrified lineup

British luxury carmaker Bentley Motors has embarked on its journey toward electrification, with the very first step being a plug-in hybrid Bentayga SUV unveiled last week, amid sweeping changes in the automotive industry.

"Our aim is to have 100 percent hybrid or electric drive-train availability across all our model lines by 2025," said Bentley Chairman and CEO Adrian Hallmark.

Having only assumed the role a month ago, Hallmark mapped out the direction for Bentley last week at the Geneva Motor Show.

"Bentley, and indeed the industry, is at a point of fundamental transition, and the future of mobility is open to innovation－even redefinition," he said.

Hallmark said he believes that batteries' density of power should double by the mid-2020s and the time needed for battery charging will be slashed in the next five years, with 80 percent completing the process in 15-20 minutes.

Such technological breakthroughs would see a rapid rise in the number of electrified models across the industry, although Hallmark said he expects that the future of conventionally powered cars will last well into the 2020s and even 2030s.

"We will be future orientated－we are committed to offering electrified products across the entire Bentley range－we will be flexible and future-ready," he said. Dubbing the model as the world's first luxury hybrid, Hallmark said the Bentayga Hybrid pioneers a new automotive sector and sets Bentley on a path toward a sustainable electrified future.

"In simple terms, I want Bentley to lead the way in the delivery of sustainable luxury mobility.

"We will not achieve this by out-spending the competition. Instead, we will out-think, out-innovate and out-pace them at every turn."

The plug-in hybrid model combines a new-generation V6 petrol engine with an electric motor, which alone can power the car up to 50 kilometers.

It is also the company's most efficient model ever, with carbon dioxide emissions at 75 grams per km.

To maximize efficiency, the vehicle uses satellite navigation information to calculate the best usage of the electric motor and engine for every journey.

In design, Bentley has incorporated copper-colored features, an interesting detail reminding people of the copper wires that conduct electricity, according to the company's Director of Design Stefan Sielaff.

Bentley said it will ensure that owning an electrified model is as easy as owning a conventional car, with an app designed to show the car's charging status as well as nearby charging sites.

The model is not yet available to order, but it will be in selected markets from the second half of 2018, the company said. It did not disclose whether China will be on the list, but Hallmark said the Chinese market has a special position in the company's development strategy.

"We still have a global Bentley product offer, but it is obvious we need to do different things for China, and this would be part of our strategy going forward," he said.