"Bentley has scrapped four of its five upcoming EVs and will focus its attention on hybridization to keep profits high in the coming years. The company had planned to build five EVs by 2035, but now just the upcoming Urban SUV, which is slated for a 2027 reveal, has survived the latest retreat in the car industry."
"Like any other car maker out there, Bentley has to make money to survive, and ambitions sometimes don't equal profit. Last year, the British marque ticked off its seventh consecutive profitable year, and investing heavily in electric cars is probably not a great use of cash right now, seeing how the brand's gas models are carrying almost all the weight and bringing in serious revenue."
"We have to rethink and recalculate our complete product line, and all future offers, Bentley CEO Frank Walliser told Auto Express. If you compare our planning with what it was two years ago, it looks completely different, he added."
Bentley has significantly scaled back its electrification strategy, canceling development of four electric vehicles originally scheduled for launch by 2035. The luxury automaker will proceed with only one electric SUV debuting in 2027, while shifting focus toward hybrid technology to maintain profitability. This decision reflects the company's seven consecutive profitable years driven primarily by gas-powered models generating substantial revenue. CEO Frank Walliser acknowledged the need to recalculate the complete product line based on current market conditions. The strategic pivot aligns with Volkswagen Group decisions, including Porsche's cancellation of the Scalable Systems Platform in favor of the Premium Platform Combustion architecture, enabling manufacturers to offer five and seven-seat configurations with both gas and plug-in hybrid powertrains.
#electrification-strategy #luxury-automotive #hybrid-technology #volkswagen-group #ev-development-cancellation
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