Bentley:“By 2030 all our models will be electric”

For over a hundred years the main manufacturer of 12-cylinder petrol engines, Bentley will say goodbye to combustion engines by 2030.Objective (challenger...), "to become a global leader in sustainable luxury mobility".

How many times have we told you about the slow and complex ecological transition of the car. Ecological and not just electric, given that it is a transition that involves not only the farewell to internal combustion engines that Europe has set (except for second thoughts after the imminent  European elections…) for the 2035, but the production processes, the professionalism, in short, an entire supply chain.Finding new sustainable solutions is an imperative for both "generalist" and commercial car brands luxury icons.

Indeed, in this case, as for Bentley precisely, if for over a century you have been the main producer of 12-cylinder petrol engines in the world, an excellence together with Rolls Royce, and then in 2020 you declare that you want to eliminate combustion engines in a decade, the task is not easier.Come what may, the strategy Beyond100 envisages the transition of the entire range to battery-powered electric models and carbon neutrality by 2030.To see the first electric Bentley we will have to wait until the end of 2026, while an idea of ​​the future direction of the brand can be guessed from the concept EXP 100GT.

Luxury and sustainability in cars, symbiosis or contrast?

Sustainability in cars, even in the luxury segment, is an asset that is more essential than ever for companies, even if not easy to achieve, especially when it comes to reversing the direction of already consolidated production processes, as in the case of Bentley, for years a symbol of exclusivity.It is not enough to have a long-term strategy, it is not enough to have more efficient models, such as the plug-in hybrid Flying Spur Hybrid which we will talk about shortly.We need the ability to invest in innovation, perhaps equipping ourselves with our own internal body capable of carrying out this specific function.Like the Bentley sustainability council, a team of global experts created to support brand research and innovation.A video tells the stages of the transition.

What Bentley's second sustainability report contains

A commitment that Bentley reiterated last April, publishing his second Annual sustainability report, a 125-page document full of data and information that focuses on the milestones achieved to date on the path towards carbon neutrality end-to-end expected by the end of the decade.A report that examines every aspect of the business, including the well-being of employees and customers.

In short, in Crewe, the first “zero impact” automotive plant in the United Kingdom and historic headquarters of the English brand (part of the Volkswagen group since 1998), are working hard, investing heavily in people's future skills (necessary for the total transition to electric), training new talents with the Forward leadership program and investing in numerous environmental projects through Bentley environment foundation.

Journey (in silence) along the banks of the Po 

To better understand, in essence, what Bentley's commitment translates into today, we took a short trip to Emilia-Romagna, to discover the "Po forest", which winds between Polesine Parmense and the Grande river, at discovery (taking advantage of the silence offered by the electric autonomy of the Bentley Flying Spur Hybrid) of the floodplain vegetation.

In the silence of the electricity, along the banks among willow, poplar and alder woods, we cross what the mayor of Polesine Zibello and starred chef at Antica Corte Pallavicina Massimo Spigaroli calls Po forest, "an area that has suffered from abandonment in the past and where, in defense of the river forest and its 400 hectares of vegetation and biodiversity, to counteract the phenomenon of plastics and waste left by the periodic flooding of the Po, in 2019 we launched the project 'Let's clean the Po and we will clean the world', involving local realities and voluntary associations".

What the Flying Spur offers, “the most eco-friendly Bentley ever”.

Enthusiasts call cars like the Bentley Fliyng Spur Hybrid "gran Turismo", meaning a car capable of offering excellent comfort, rare refinement, a unique driving experience.Cars for decades focused only on luxury and comfort, with their 8 or 12 cylinder petrol engines, with notable weights, dimensions and costs, light years away from any sustainable idea of ​​mobility, which they are now seeking thanks toelectrification the path of "redemption".At least they try...

While waiting for a more substantial "redemption" (and the first fully electric Bentley), 8 and 12 cylinder petrol versions remain on the list today, with easily imaginable consumption and emissions... The only exception is the Flying Spur Hybrid, according to what the English manufacturer declared "the most ecological Bentley ever".However, we are talking about a plug-in hybrid car with significant dimensions and a weight of over 3 tons, aspects which, as can be imagined, on a car do not contribute to efficiency.The powertrain combines a 2.9-liter 6-cylinder petrol engine with a second 100 kW electric motor powered by an 18 kWh battery, for a total power of 544 horsepower.

If a traditional brand turns to the new

Four doors, four seats, one length of over 5 meters and 30 and a cabin dedicated to the excellence of the materials and the comfort of the passengers, in the interiors of the Flying Spur the wood (of which you can choose the essence and finish) and the shiny knurled metal of tradition mix with technology, with the large touchscreen 12.3 inch "rotating" (if desired, it can rotate and show only the wooden part), "wireless" inductive charging for the smartphone, the inevitable USB sockets.The Flying Spur supports Apple CarPlay (but only by connecting your smartphone via cable), but, strangely, not Android Auto.

There are few storage compartments, while there are numerous physical buttons that allow you to easily interact with the controls and the various settings. The seats are armchairs (the greatest comfort is for rear passengers who have privacy curtains, electrically operated tables, 14 settings and dedicated infotainment systems), heated, ventilated, massaging, have adjustable padding that allows maximum comfort for every body type.

Everything or almost everything is customizable, the art of handcrafted luxury the English call it, so that a Bentley is an expression of the owner's personality.Legacy of a past difficult to overcome leather of animal origin (albeit certified) used for interiors;considering the resources available to car companies and the growing attention by new designers to the sustainable development of materials, we hope that the interiors of the Bentleys of the future will exploit one of the valid eco-friendly alternatives to leather of animal origin.

What the safety equipment offers

In terms of safety, the driver assistance systems range from the four cameras positioned around the car which provide a 360 degree view around the car, to the infrared camera that "sees" in the dark up to 300 meters away, also detecting pedestrians and animals, to the most obvious (given the demanding price...) steering assistance, monitoring of the area surrounding the car, up to the Head-up display which projects information such as speed, limits or navigation on the windscreen, in the driver's field of vision.And that's the end of it... Let's say that from a Bentley one might expect more "surprising" equipment, we are talking about a car whose price (of the example on test) is close to 300 thousand euros…

Electric range and charging times

The Bentley Flying Spur is a kind of living room on wheels. Driving comfort is objectively unparalleled even from cars normally considered luxury.Part of the Flying Spur's secret lies in its soundproofing (the glazing is double) and in the system of pneumatic suspension, adaptive and customizable.In practice it is possible to adjust the shock absorbers through four modes.In Sport mode, the pleasure of driving around curves is enhanced, while in Comfort, bumps and potholes in the road practically disappear.Then the system allows you to make a series of customized combinations between suspension, engine, steering and gearbox.

Despite the plug-in hybrid system, the Flying Spur does not obtain comparable consumption with other hybrids, compared to which weight and size obviously penalize it.The package doesn't help either 18 kWh battery, a little undersized compared to its size.The result is that the realistic electric range is around 40 kilometers, with the “Hold” mode which allows you to maintain the battery charge to use it whenever you prefer. In electric mode, the maximum speed is self-limited to 140 km/h.In short, the only way to achieve maximum efficiency is to connect the Flying Spur Hybrid to a charging station whenever possible.We did it and… The on-board charger of just 7 kW extends the time, let's say that using a wallbox you go from 0 to 100 percent of the autonomy 2 hours and 30 minutes, from a domestic socket are needed about 6 hours.