Reality does not match the forecasts.
The electric car seems to be the future towards which the industry is moving, but more and more agents realize that the situation is being forced in the present, so they have decided to postpone their plans to switch exclusively to zero-emission mobility. . The latest to join the trend has been Bentley.
As colleagues at Automotive News Europe have learned, the CEO of the British brand, Adrian Hallmark, has announced two decisions.
The first of them has been to delay the arrival of its first electric car, which instead of in 2025, as planned, will not be presented until 2026, beginning its deliveries a year later, in 2027.
The second has been another delay, this time of the brand's decision to switch to the exclusive sale of electric cars. It was originally scheduled to occur in 2030, five years after Europe's ultimatum, but finally it will not be until 2033, which will give more margin to the brand, which thinks it is a pace more in line with how the market is responding.
In fact, the delay, which a priori could be seen as a bad thing, has actually had positive consequences for the manufacturer.
Hallmark itself points it out: “Due to the delay of the first BEV and all the changes around us, we are investing more in hybrids. We expected a drop in hybrids in 2028, 2029 and 2030, but now we hope they can actually grow and continue. It gives us more opportunities and protects us against slower adoption of BEVs.”
In fact, the investment for development will be minimal, since Bentley currently already has hybrid versions of several of its models in its range, including the best-selling one, which is the Bentley Bentayga.
In addition, the company is currently finalizing the details of a second PHEV propulsion system, which will have a V8 engine at its heart and which will be the natural replacement for the high-performance versions of the house, which until now were powered by a V12 engine. .
In addition, it seems that it will also have positive consequences for the electric Bentley itself. The delay has been due to problems with the Volkswagen Group's Premium Performance Electric (PPE) platform, which is used by models such as the new Audi Q6 e-tron or the Porsche Macan, but the delay has meant that its EV can have better autonomous functions.
This is nothing more than another movement within the industry, which has realized that the roadmap established to meet the demands of Europe, and even get ahead of them, does not adapt to the reality of the automotive industry as a whole. 2024.
The take-off of electric cars is being slower than expected, so other brands like McLaren have also delayed the arrival of their first electric, while others like Fiat have chosen to extend the life of their combustion models, since EVs do not achieve the same sales figures.