Finally, Bentley Is Going to Start Making Cars That Go Fast
The brand’s CEO says EV power could double the horsepower offered by the brand today.
Bentleys aren’t often accused of being low on power. The venerable W12 mill under their hoods makes 730 horsepower in the last-blast Batur, after all. But now, as the company shifts toward electrification—and ultimately electric cars—Bentley’s boss promises even more power.
“… all the traditional qualities will go up another notch,” Bentley CEO Adrian Hallmark told Autocar this week. “What’s more, our new powertrains will have between 50% and 100% more power than we currently offer, so the performance will be there.”
That'd be somewhere in the ballpark 500 to 1,500 hp, for all the math majors out there. Hallmark also indicated to the outlet Bentley’s EVs would be powered by two different batteries, although it’s not clear if that refers to size or chemistry. The top-shelf option will power the company’s long-running “Speed” moniker that it places on its highest-performing models, such as the Continental GT Speed and Bentayga Speed. The other batteries for Bentley the hoi polloi may not be as big, but should still return around 350 miles of range. That’s relatively on par with Bentley’s position as a grand-touring automaker, although batteries don’t replenish as quickly as gas tanks. Hallmark said their batteries would charge up to 80% in less than 20 minutes—just the right amount of time for an espresso and cornetto, I guess.
In 2030 and after, Bentley says they’ll have EV versions of all of their models, including a new nameplate we haven’t yet seen. The Bentayga and Flying Spur already offer V6 plug-in hybrid models, and the Continental coupe and convertible range will too soon. Hallmark didn’t say what other nameplate would be added to the range, but if it’s not an SUV these days, it better have a good reason not to be.
The automaker’s first EV in 2026 may very well be that new nameplate, too. Hallmark told Autocar that its first EV wouldn’t be an electrified version of a model already on sale. That could mean a new Bentayga with an all-electric platform—parent company VW is working on a new scaleable platforms that could easily underpin a Bentley EV—or a smaller SUV.
“Our job is to build Bentleys,” Hallmark said. “Not BEVs with Bentley badges attached.”
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