Bentley News: Bentley CEO Talks About Upcoming EV, Admits They're Losing Some Customers to Porsche and Tesla

[William Maley]

It is no secret that Bentley is working on an electric vehicle. What has been unclear is when said vehicle is expected to launch. Recently, Automotive News Europe had a sit-down with Bentley CEO Adrian Hallmark where he revealed that electric cars are seen "as another growth opportunity in a five- to 10-year period." Why the long period?

"The problem is, with the size of our vehicles and the frontal area we push through, current battery-power density limits the size of the car with a credible driving range. The Jaguar I-Pace is the perfect-size car for the battery technology, but it’s too small for us. It’s all driven by power density of the battery, but there’s nothing industrialized in the supply chain before 2023-2024-2025. Only then does it open up the size of the vehicle and the category you can make a credible battery-powered car," said Hallmark.

Hallmark wouldn't say what Bentley's full-electric vehicle would look like, but past rumors point to the possibility of the Mulsanne replacement of going full EV.

Bentley knows that it needs an EV sooner or later. Hallmark said 40 percent of Bentley customers would consider buying an electric vehicle. Also, a set of possible Bentley customers, "the upper liberals and the post-moderns" are trending towards Porsche and Tesla models.

Source: Automotive News Europe (Subscription Required)

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[David]

Bentley is BLAH style, Old Europe Old Thinking, OLD OLD OLD, Why buy a Bentley when you can have so many far better options including EVs.

Bentley needs to revolutionize themselves or die off to the history books.

[Robert Hall]

Funny that they are saying how hard it for them to do an EV, considering their corporate siblings Audi and Porsche are just about there.  Just take the eTron GT or Taycan, put on some squared bodywork, mesh grille, quilted seats and lots of wood, and instant Bentley EV.   Seems inefficient that each brand within VWAG would be developing their own EV technology and platforms, seems like the dirty bits would be shared across the brands, as they do now with ICE platforms and powertrains.

Edited December 21, 2018 by Robert Hall

[A Horse With No Name]

The times they are a changin....

[smk4565]

Since Bentley and Porsche have the same owner, I don't see why they really care who buys what, unless the profit margin on a Bentley EV is higher than a Porsche EV.  

I know Bentley's are big, but a Tesla Model S isn't a small car, and Mercedes is making near S-class sized EV, so how can they do it and Bentley can't make the same thing with an extra 6 inches of wheelbase and length?  And you probably don't need over 250 miles of range either, Bentley owners have a private plane for when they travel over 100 miles.

[David]

Plus these people are not gonna bitch about the price of the battery pack, they want to be the ubber green show off.

[ocnblu]

The current means of propulsion is far superior to the possibility of electric.

[riviera74]

5 hours ago, dfelt said:

Bentley is BLAH style, Old Europe Old Thinking, OLD OLD OLD, Why buy a Bentley when you can have so many far better options including EVs.

Bentley needs to revolutionize themselves or die off to the history books.

Maybe Bentley is right given current battery power density.  In a decade or so, denser batteries will allow them (and all automakers) to build BEVs that are far superior to what is on the market now.  Sometimes it is bets to wait for technology to catch up with your ambitions if you are not able to push it along yourself.

[loki]

4 hours ago, ocnblu said:

The current means of propulsion is far superior to the possibility of electric.

do you say that of opinion or because of the infrastructure?

[ocnblu]

7 minutes ago, loki said:

do you say that of opinion or because of the infrastructure?

Both really.  The I.D. Buzz Cargo is cute but what good is it if you set off on a spontaneous road trip?  Your life is regimented with electrics.

[David]

2 hours ago, ocnblu said:

Both really.  The I.D. Buzz Cargo is cute but what good is it if you set off on a spontaneous road trip?  Your life is regimented with electrics.

Same way ICE auto's were regimented for the first 1/3rd of their existence and in some 3rd world places still is.

[ocnblu]

8 hours ago, dfelt said:

Same way ICE auto's were regimented for the first 1/3rd of their existence and in some 3rd world places still is.

If that is true, why would anyone want to go back to that?  Ludicrous.  We have it perfect now.

[David]

11 hours ago, ocnblu said:

If that is true, why would anyone want to go back to that?  Ludicrous.  We have it perfect now.

Nothing is perfect. Never will be, if it was then god would exist as everything would be perfect, but it is not.

[ocnblu]

OK Grasshopper

[balthazar]

21 hours ago, dfelt said:

Same way ICE auto's were regimented for the first 1/3rd of their existence...

Overstated; 120 years, give or take, puts "1/3rd" at the year 1938.
The primary restriction was roads, not fueling.

[Suaviloquent]

I always feel that when Bentley or Rolls talk about weight, it's usually about something that isn't heavy enough.

 

Battery density...they just want to biggest and largest batteries to be as heavy as possible too. By having the largest density possible, pack on the lard!

[smk4565]

Daimler and Tesla are making electric semi trucks.  I bet those weigh more than a Bentley and they figured it out.  If they can make an electric Audi I don’t see why they can’t do a Bentley version, most of the Bentley’s sold anyway are glorified A8’s.

[David]

Hope Koch Brothers die an ugly death soon. They are spending millions to attack the lovely EV industry.

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/koch-electric-vehicles_us_56c4d63ce4b0b40245c8cbf6

Death to these pigs!

[balthazar]

1 hour ago, smk4565 said:

Daimler and Tesla are making electric semi trucks.  ...they figured it out.

Where? Where are they for sale- I have money waiting right now!
What? Oh, they only said they intend to build them, at some point. Well, that's disappointing.

Know what else is disappointing? Tesla has been building EVs for a decade, and MB is JUST supposedly getting ready to bring out theirs. After [Benz] invented the [Benz tiller-steered tricycle], I would've expected more leading edge stuff.

Edited December 24, 2018 by balthazar

[balthazar]

1 hour ago, dfelt said:

Hope Koch Brothers die an ugly death soon. They are spending millions to attack the lovely EV industry.

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/koch-electric-vehicles_us_56c4d63ce4b0b40245c8cbf6

Death to these pigs!

Whoa- advocating death for a difference of opinion is a bit unhinged. Not sure you want to come off as a wing-nut, Dave.
 

Quote

Electric vehicles make up just 1 percent of the U.S. market, but some analysts see them rising to as much as 5 percent by 2025.

WHOA. We've all read other predictions (not necessarily from industry analysts) that EVs would gobble up 50% of the market by 2030. But who has been saying EVs won't see 25% by 2050?

And actually; 2018 sales will be at 2.0%- the article has the figure wrong. Huffpost tends to garble their facts on a regular basis. But it still took 20 years to get to just a wee 2%.

Edited December 24, 2018 by balthazar

[ocnblu]

4 hours ago, dfelt said:

lovely EV industry

SARCASTIC POST OF THE YEAR! 

[Robert Hall]

8 hours ago, balthazar said:

Whoa- advocating death for a difference of opinion is a bit unhinged. Not sure you want to come off as a wing-nut, Dave.

 

It's a bit more than 'difference of opinion'...the Kochs and other climate change denying right wing filth represent an existential threat to all of humanity.   They are anti-future and anti-American. 

Edited December 24, 2018 by Robert Hall

[ccap41]

On 12/21/2018 at 11:45 AM, Robert Hall said:

Funny that they are saying how hard it for them to do an EV, considering their corporate siblings Audi and Porsche are just about there.  Just take the eTron GT or Taycan, put on some squared bodywork, mesh grille, quilted seats and lots of wood, and instant Bentley EV.   Seems inefficient that each brand within VWAG would be developing their own EV technology and platforms, seems like the dirty bits would be shared across the brands, as they do now with ICE platforms and powertrains.

Did you read the article? " "The problem is, with the size of our vehicles and the frontal area we push through, current battery-power density limits the size of the car with a credible driving range. "

The squared bodywork really screws up range. As we all have noticed, all EVs all wear very slippery bodywork. 

10 hours ago, smk4565 said:

Daimler and Tesla are making electric semi trucks.  I bet those weigh more than a Bentley and they figured it out.  If they can make an electric Audi I don’t see why they can’t do a Bentley version, most of the Bentley’s sold anyway are glorified A8’s.

Uhhh.. vehicles that size can cram a crap ton of batteries of any size in them. We're talking the footprint of "most" vehicles with a Bentley in a vehicle not aerodynamically the most slippery. 

Also, Cummins is working on/has an electric Semi truck.

[Robert Hall]

13 minutes ago, ccap41 said:

Did you read the article? " "The problem is, with the size of our vehicles and the frontal area we push through, current battery-power density limits the size of the car with a credible driving range. "

The squared bodywork really screws up range. As we all have noticed, all EVs all wear very slippery bodywork.  e

Maybe they should adopt a more aerodynamic design instead of the blocky bloated look...

Edited December 24, 2018 by Robert Hall

[ccap41]

Or there isn't a business case well enough to justify changing their design language for a few EV sales quite yet. 

[balthazar]

Ideally, an EV powertrain should be an option on a regular production vehicle. IE; engineer a model/body to fit over either- the GM skateboard concept seems to make the most sense. The ROI of 1. a true EV vehicle coupled with 2. a unique design inside & out is putting these vehicles automatically in the red going out the door.
I see no reason that the -say- honda accord isn't available with the clarity's EV powertrain with 90% of the same look.

[ocnblu]

1 hour ago, balthazar said:

Ideally, an EV powertrain should be an option on a regular production vehicle. IE; engineer a model/body to fit over either- the GM skateboard concept seems to make the most sense. The ROI of 1. a true EV vehicle coupled with 2. a unique design inside & out is putting these vehicles automatically in the red going out the door.
I see no reason that the -say- honda accord isn't available with the clarity's EV powertrain with 90% of the same look.

Still would make up a minuscule portion of sales and therefore lose money, but at least the red ink would not be so deep for bespoke design development.

[balthazar]

^ Right? OEMs are killing their bottom line with unique EV models. It's a powertrain; ideologically just like a 4-cyl or V6 (I realize the packaging is totally different). The first OEM to develop the unilateral body architecture, they're going to have a real leg up on the competition, balance sheet wise.

[David]

15 minutes ago, balthazar said:

^ Right? OEMs are killing their bottom line with unique EV models. It's a powertrain; ideologically just like a 4-cyl or V6 (I realize the packaging is totally different). The first OEM to develop the unilateral body architecture, they're going to have a real leg up on the competition, balance sheet wise.

Totally agree, from an engineering standpoint, I see no reason to not have a skateboard concept that could also still handing 4 and 6 cylinder motors.

As a global platform, that would allow a large array of power train options for various market needs around the world and would pay for itself.