Bentley Might Skip Hybrids, Go Straight To All-Electric Powertrains

A Bentley manager has announced that the British automaker is researching an

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by Brad Anderson

July 11, 2016 at 11:59

A Bentley manager has announced that the British automaker is researching an all-electric powertrain to replace its existing V8 and W12 engines.

During an interview with Autocar, the product and marketing manager of the Mulsanne, Hans Holzgartner, said that Bentley may jump straight into electric cars, rather than producing any hybrid systems.

“At the moment, the indication is that full electric will be the only way that you’ll get into some of the cities in China. I wouldn’t say we’re discounting [hybrid engines] completely, but it looks like if you don’t have a full electric drive, even some of the hybrid drives just won’t get into some cities in China,” Holzgartner said.

Given how smooth and refined Bentley’s current engines are, Holgartner said that electric alternatives would perfectly suit the character of the brand’s models, particularly thanks to their huge torque outputs and silent operation.

“I think electric is much better suited to bigger, heavier, smoother saloon cars than sports cars. With a Mulsanne-sized car, it’s all about torque anyway. The delivery characteristics of electric drive — loads of bottom-end torque, almost silent delivery, very smooth — they all fit.”