Bentley hasn’t totally closed the door on the possibility of building an all-electric model. The company’s design director, Stefan Sielaff, told Autocar that Bentley’s higher brass has requested its design team to come up with a preliminary sketch of an all-electric model. However, there’s still no certainty that such a model will be given the go signal.
Big boss Wolfgang Durheimer is lukewarm on the idea, having gone on record saying that an all-electric model isn’t a “priority” for the company because it isn’t as important to Bentley’s “brand values” as its more traditional models. But, there is still some room for consideration, even if it’s a small one at best. What’s more certain is a plug-in hybrid electric car, which Durheimer himself admitted has become a priority for Bentley. He even doubled down on that commitment by promising to have a plug-in hybrid powertrain on all of its models in the near future.
The first model to get this powertrain is the Bentayga SUV, which is scheduled to have a PHEV version by 2018. Bentley will almost certainly have a keen eye on how successful that model turns out because it could determine if there’s room for its other models, including the Continental, to receive a similar hybrid engine.
It’s clear that Bentley wants to be a player in this market, but it’s also approaching it with some caution knowing that success could lead to demand for a full EV model in the future. Right now, it’s unlikely that Bentley will cross that bridge, but in asking Sielaff and his design team to come out with a preliminary sketch of a full EV model, it shows that Bentley is at least trying to cover its bases in the event it changes its mind and builds an all-electric vehicle.
Continue after the jump to read the full story.
from Top Speed http://ift.tt/1LzKIHX
via IFTTT
Aucun commentaire:
Enregistrer un commentaire