Sales Are Sluggish! Another European Car Manufacturer Slows Down Electrification: Bentley Confirms New Fuel-Powered Vehicles

Fast Technology reported on September 23 that the electrification process of European car manufacturers is likely to come to a complete halt. After several car companies announced the continued launch of new fuel vehicles, Bentley has also joined in.

Recently, foreign media reported that Bentley plans to launch pure gasoline versions of the Bentayga, Continental GT, and Flying Spur successor models, marking a reversal of its "only electric vehicles" strategy.

According to the Beyond100 strategy, Bentley originally planned to completely phase out internal combustion engines by 2035. However, with Porsche under the Volkswagen Group reaffirming its commitment to internal combustion engine technology, Bentley is also planning significant adjustments.

Porsche confirmed last Friday that it will invest 3.1 billion euros (approximately 25.908 billion RMB) to extend the lifecycle of its fuel-powered models, while canceling the previously planned "K1" flagship in electric vehicle form.

Before this, Audi also canceled its plan to only sell electric vehicles by 2033.

The CEO of Bentley stated that due to the three major brands sharing platforms, powertrains, and key components, the decisions of Porsche and Audi directly affect Bentley.

Therefore, the pure gasoline successor models of the Bentley Bentayga, Bentley Continental GT, and Bentley Flying Spur (originally planned to be offered only as hybrid or electric versions) will remain in the product line to meet the demands of markets such as the Middle East and North America.

However, he also stated that this move is intended to slow down rather than completely abandon electrification. Bentley still plans to launch a plug-in hybrid or electric model every year starting from 2026, with the first electric vehicle being a "city SUV."

The explanation for the strategic change is: "The demand for luxury electric vehicles has declined, and customer demand is not yet sufficient to support a fully electric strategy. The luxury market today is very different from when we launched Beyond100. Electrification is still our goal, but we must move forward together with our customers."