Bentley News: Plug-In Hybrids To Become A Key Part of Bentley's Future

[William Maley]

It is no secret that Bentley is working on a plug-in hybrid variant of the Bentayga SUV due out next year. But Bentley CEO Wolfgang Duerheimer revealed that all of their models would have the option of a plug-in hybrid in the coming years. Speaking at the Automotive News World Conference, Duerheimer said this powertrain provides the best of two worlds - allowing owners to drive their vehicles on electric power only in cities where gas engines might be restricted and traveling for long distances without having to recharge the battery.

“To cover long distances and to make it from one city to another -- and you travel long distances in the U.S. -- I think the combustion engine will follow us for a long time,” Duerheimer said.

Following the Bentayga, the next-generation Continental GT will be the next model to get a plug-in hybrid option.

Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required)

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[Drew Dowdell]

Bentley has always been known for torque.... so having an EV like torque curve fits that

[G. David Felt]

Cool, I can see this product line being Hybrid and EV only in the near future. Torque of the electric motor will greatly help to move that weight around.  

[oldshurst442]

Too bad their cars are ugly.

Beauty is skin deep they keep on telling me.

Ill continue being shallow regarding my views of Bentley and keep on throwing up every time I see one.

Edited January 13, 2017 by oldshurst442

[G. David Felt]

46 minutes ago, oldshurst442 said:

Too bad their cars are ugly.

Beauty is skin deep they keep on telling me.

Ill continue being shallow regarding my views of Bentley and keep on throwing up every time I see one.

+1  

[smk4565]

I imagine in 10 years plug in hybrid will be about as common as a turbo engine is today.  Once batteries get cheaper and CAFE is 50+ mpg, half the cars sold will be plug in.

[balthazar]

Turbos are growing but were only 22% of the market last year, and that's after a half century since the first appearance. Hybrids have a LONG way to go to even equal that, never mind reach 50%. Probably a good 40 years to hit 50%, maybe 50.

[smk4565]

Depends on how fast battery technology advances and cost comes down.  If Tesla could sell the base Model S for $45k and the Ludicrous Mode car for $75k, V8 sport sedans would be dead right now.

2025 might be too soon for hybrid and plug it to hit 50% but there will need to be a lot.   Cars need to add 10 mpg and trucks need to add 5 mpg to their current EPA ratings to hit CAFE in 2025.   And people aren't buying cars anymore, trucks are over 50% of the sales now, so for manufacturers to hit CAFE they need trucks that get good mileage.  How do you get 10 more mpg out of a Malibu or Fusion that are already using sub 2 liter engines?  They gotta all go hybrid.

[balthazar]

But its not enough to just build these hybrids vehicles, you have to sell them. They've been on the U.S. market for many many years, including thru gas prices of well over $4 per, and they've yet to take off in any meaningful way.

Introducing a hybrid is like introducing a convertible- people generally say 'that's good' right before they say 'but not for me'.

And Tesla would never lower it's Model S to $45K- marketing/image problems aside, battery costs aren't that huge of a vehicle percentage and they're simply not going to see that huge of a cost drop, never mind what an OEM is wiling to pass on to the consumer. 

[hyperv6]

For high end performance it will require Hybrid tech to survive. These companies are not doing this to be cool and not doing it to impress they are doing it because there is no choice. If you want a large engine multi cylinder engine you will have to offset it with a second drive system. 

The mega performance is all that is saving them at this point. once the cheaper cars catch up one can only imagine what they could do to save the super car. You can only use so much power. 

I find it very sad as once cars like this were advance but simple. Today they will be to the point once they break and they are 10 years old they will not be worth the price to fix them. We are pretty much there now. 

Enzo must be turning in his grave.