Bentley is planning an all-electric flagship as the classic British brand aims to reposition itself as a marque with strengths in both luxury and technology, auto express can reveal.
The Crewe-based manufacturer has already announced its entire range will be available with an electrified powertrain by 2025. but auto express has learned work is under way on a pure EV that will harness some of the developments in the forthcoming Porsche mission E and help Bentley to offer green credentials alongside its traditional craftsmanship.
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With the firm’s boardroom fresh from a complete shake-up, and Brit Adrian Hallmark named as the company’s new CEO, Bentley has plenty of options on the table as it gears up to go electric.
But the brand’s design director Stefan Sielaff told auto express what could be the “most realistic” option. “A full electric Bentley is something I am extremely convinced we have to do,” he explained.
“The next step for sure is an electric, unique Bentley that isn’t based on an existing automobile but a completely fresh and new development, with electric propulsion and obviously different proportions following the function.
“It gives us a terrific chance to establish a completely new design language for the company.”
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Bentley has already given us a taster of its all-electric future in the form of the EXP 12 speed 6e Concept, seen at 2017’s Geneva show. That two-seat electric sports automobile concept was spun neatly off into the more conventional, hard-top EXP 12 speed 6 coupe show car; but it’s unlikely to form the basis of the brand’s electric flagship, according to Sielaff.
