As the automaker prepares to launch its first all-electric models, Bentley CEO Frank-Steffen Walliser believes electric vehicles are about to undergo rapid change.
The auto industry is now coming to the end of the first phase of EV development, Walliser said in a recent interview with Autocar. The second phase, which Walliser expects to begin around 2027, is shaping up to be something of a technological holding pattern as automakers look to grow EV adoption while awaiting new battery tech.
Bentley Continental GT Speed in Gravity Grey
“In the second phase, you’ll get bigger batteries, longer ranges, and greater usability,” Walliser said. “Some will say their batteries are too big, but their long ranges will help customers make the switch and get over their range anxiety.”
The third phase, which Walliser predicts will start around 2035, will see further development of battery chemistries and maturation of charging infrastructure, allowing for smaller battery packs and reduced vehicle weight. Perhaps conditions will then finally be right for Bentley to finally commit to EVs long-term.
Bentley Continental GT Speed in Gravity Grey
In 2020, Bentley laid out plans to make its entire lineup plug-in hybrids by 2026 and all-electric by 2030. And in 2022, the automaker said its first EV would arrive in 2025. After a change of plans, that first all-electric model is now set to debut in 2026, with a market arrival in 2027.
The delays are in line with a bearish view of luxury EVs from management. In another interview earlier this year, Walliser said the luxury-car market was rejecting EVs.
This wouldn’t be the first time Bentley has gotten cold feet. The automaker first began discussing EVs in 2016, showing a pair of concepts, only to back away by 2019 following a change in leadership.