On 19 September, Porsche announced that it would be placing greater emphasis on combustion engines in Zuffenhausen in future, thereby softening its electrification strategy. First and foremost, the seven-seater flagship SUV, currently still known under the development code K1 and originally intended to be an electric car, will probably be powered by large-volume petrol engines and plug-in hybrid drives when it launches. The electric version is to follow later.
In addition, the model cycle of the classic sports car series, which still forms the core of the brand, is to be extended through investments of 3.1 billion euros. The Swabians’ change of course has sparked debate and is also influencing the future plans of the other luxury brands under the VW Group umbrella. This is because they share some of their platforms and powertrains.
As part of its ‘Beyond 100’ strategy, Bentley originally wanted to convert its entire model range to electric drive by 2030. This goal was already postponed by five years last year. Now, the British luxury brand has announced that it will refocus on combustion engines in the medium term.
“Electrification is still our goal, but we need to take our customers with us”
This was announced by Bentley CEO Frank-Steffen Walliser in an interview with Autocar. Although the company still intends to launch one electrified model per year from 2026 onwards, in the form of pure electric cars or plug-in hybrids, it has scrapped its fixed date for phasing out combustion engine technology.
“There is a dip in demand for luxury electric vehicles, and customer demand is not yet strong enough to support an all-electric strategy. The luxury market is a lot different today than when we announced Beyond100,” Walliser told the British trade magazine.
Fully electric vehicles remain a high priority, as demonstrated by the advanced development of the first EV, which is set to be launched next year in the form of an urban SUV. Similarly, the luxury brand based in Crewe, England, presented a concept car in July that offered a glimpse of future electric Bentleys.
Originally, the successors to the Bentayga, Flying Spur and Continental GT series were also supposed to be purely electric vehicles. However, as demand for combustion engines remains high, especially in the US and the Middle East, the models will now continue to be offered with petrol engines.
Audi also abandoned its ambitious goal of offering only pure electric vehicles from 2033 onwards in June. The change in strategy at the sister companies in Ingolstadt and Zuffenhausen now offers Bentley the opportunity to rebalance the drive mix within its model range and refocus on the combustion engines valued by its regular customers.
autocar.co.uk
This article was first published by Elias Holdenried for Ev Authority’s German edition.
