RE: Bentley goes electric with hybrid Bentayga
Monday 5th March 2018
First it was a W12, then a V8 diesel, then a V8 petrol - now Bentley completes the Bentayga lineup with turbocharged 3.0-litre V6. With an electric motor attached for good measure. Yes, that's right: Crewe has built a hybrid - and its most efficient model ever, with a kindly NEDC rating of 75g/km CO2.
Needless to say it's the last bit which has ultimately required Crewe to hold its nose and install a hybrid powertrain in its powerhouse SUV. Fortunately for it, the Volkswagen parts bin includes some of the best in the business, and you won't be surprised to hear that the Bentayga's vital components are shared with the Porsche Panamera 4 E-Hybrid.
As with most VW Group hybrid systems, you'll have the option of three E modes - EV Drive, Hybrid Mode and Hold mode to manage battery life. Expect that battery to take around 7.5hrs to charge from a standard domestic supply - or 2.5hrs if choose to have Bentley fit a Philippe Starck designed Power Dock installed at your house.
Bentley Bentayga Hybrid: Geneva 2018
Crewe will use the Geneva show to premiere its first ever petrol-electric model
The same test cycle says you'll get over 30 miles of electric-only range from the car that Bentley claims as the world's first luxury hybrid (bear in mind there that Crewe doesn't think anyone aside from Rolls-Royce lives up to its standard of 'luxury').
"The Bentayga Hybrid is our first step on the road to electrification," said Adrian Hallmark, Bentley's chief executive. "It gives customers the best of both worlds - engaging, effortless performance on the open road and silent emission-free driving in the city, which will become increasingly important with the ever-changing regulations around the world."
So while Bentley didn't deign to share the car's vital statistics with us at the time of writing, we can say with some confidence that it'll deliver much the same 462hp that the saloon does, the bulk of it coming from the twin-turbocharged V6.
The electric motor is upstream of the eight-speed automatic gearbox, so it'll feed the same all-wheel drive system (rather than it being stuck on the back axle). With its help, expect the Bentayga to deliver around 516lb ft of torque from just above idle.
There's no price for the car just yet as it isn't due to go on sale till later this year, following its public reveal at Geneva tomorrow. More information to follow then...
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Discussion
Possibly the ugliest car ever maid. It's all well and good getting to drive into the city centre because it's electric but how many people will bother with electric mode? If your looking to save the environment you wouldn't buy this so why would you not just leave it in petrol mode in the city too? It's not like the purchasers need to save a few quid on petrol is it?
dino_jr said:
Maybe the car makers should be banned from calling a car hybrid unless the non-ICE system does at least 50% of the miles.
When its actually 5% hybrid like this thing, its clearly marketing noise.
30 miles on a charge is pretty handy. Say I'm driving into London, I can drive on petrol on the motorway, and then switch to electric as I cross the M25. In and out of London on electric. Many local journeys on electric. You've got the best of all worlds, arbitrary range and an electric car for urban driving.When its actually 5% hybrid like this thing, its clearly marketing noise.
rxe said:
dino_jr said:
Maybe the car makers should be banned from calling a car hybrid unless the non-ICE system does at least 50% of the miles.
When its actually 5% hybrid like this thing, its clearly marketing noise.
30 miles on a charge is pretty handy. Say I'm driving into London, I can drive on petrol on the motorway, and then switch to electric as I cross the M25. In and out of London on electric. Many local journeys on electric. You've got the best of all worlds, arbitrary range and an electric car for urban driving.When its actually 5% hybrid like this thing, its clearly marketing noise.
Atmospheric said:
rxe said:
dino_jr said:
Maybe the car makers should be banned from calling a car hybrid unless the non-ICE system does at least 50% of the miles.
When its actually 5% hybrid like this thing, its clearly marketing noise.
30 miles on a charge is pretty handy. Say I'm driving into London, I can drive on petrol on the motorway, and then switch to electric as I cross the M25. In and out of London on electric. Many local journeys on electric. You've got the best of all worlds, arbitrary range and an electric car for urban driving.When its actually 5% hybrid like this thing, its clearly marketing noise.
Yipper said:
Always handy to save a tenner for the CC on that ~£150k car that will lose ~£50k depreciation in a year or two.
The CC is £11.50 and to be honest, from a convenience point of view it's a good thing - as a Londoner myself actually remembering to pay the CC is often more of a hassle than the sum of money involved. It's a similar reason as to why a diesel Bentley will appeal to some as the convenience of less time spent filling up outweighs the actual cost of doing so.rxe said:
dino_jr said:
Maybe the car makers should be banned from calling a car hybrid unless the non-ICE system does at least 50% of the miles.
When its actually 5% hybrid like this thing, its clearly marketing noise.
30 miles on a charge is pretty handy. Say I'm driving into London, I can drive on petrol on the motorway, and then switch to electric as I cross the M25. In and out of London on electric. Many local journeys on electric. You've got the best of all worlds, arbitrary range and an electric car for urban driving.When its actually 5% hybrid like this thing, its clearly marketing noise.
PHEVs like this can cover the everyday motoring on electric for a lot of people - and then when they need to make a long journey they can do so easily.
The Bentayga is awful though. And please, please drop this "Crewe", "Gaydon" stuff.
dino_jr said:
Maybe the car makers should be banned from calling a car hybrid unless the non-ICE system does at least 50% of the miles.
When its actually 5% hybrid like this thing, its clearly marketing noise.
It’s not that simple though. The average U.K. commute to work is about 20 miles round trip, so if you used this car to commute then it would cover the average distance in EV mode on a nightly charge.When its actually 5% hybrid like this thing, its clearly marketing noise.
It may indeed spend 90% of its mileage in EV mode.
IMHO plug in hybrids of 30 mile range are what we’ll be seeing in mainstream vehicles in the medium term not pure EV’s.
They cover all bases, no range anxiety and keeping a small battery means the costs can be kept reasonable and as you have a dual power train the EV components can be kept simple and still retain a good absolute power output.
Having spent some time in an outlander PHEV i have to say I’m very impressed with the concept as a method or reducing city pollution and retaining an unlimited range.
Notanotherturbo said:
Possibly the ugliest car ever maid. It's all well and good getting to drive into the city centre because it's electric but how many people will bother with electric mode? If your looking to save the environment you wouldn't buy this so why would you not just leave it in petrol mode in the city too? It's not like the purchasers need to save a few quid on petrol is it?
Indeed, but one would hope that purchasers of said vehicle do so only because they have a genuine care to limit pollution in built-up areas. Not because of any cost-saving. Therefore, they are more likely to use the electric-only mode in and around densely-populated areas. I don't pay for my fuel. However, I drive a Hybrid. When I am in zones where children are playing, people are enjoying being out and about, shopping, bbq'ing in their gardens, I opt to avoid adding to the fumes from petrol and diesel engines. It really is down to that, some of us actually want to engender a culture whereby we reduce the smog and fume smells that bring health risks and are just plain nasty to whiff and experience.
The idea being that it catches on and we eventually live in an urban environment with much reduced undesirable emissions. Obviously, such a desire to opt for a better environment for all will never 'catch on' altruistically by all and, just as with smoking, Government needs to enforce the ideal upon those who couldn't give a stuff. Happily, we are at the beginning of such a change.
Notanotherturbo said:
Possibly the ugliest car ever maid. It's all well and good getting to drive into the city centre because it's electric but how many people will bother with electric mode? If your looking to save the environment you wouldn't buy this so why would you not just leave it in petrol mode in the city too? It's not like the purchasers need to save a few quid on petrol is it?
You need to be seen playing the game. No one actually gives two flying f
ks about any of the environment stuff. And legislation in the key global cities where this sells is moving to hybrid and EV only. dino_jr said:
Maybe the car makers should be banned from calling a car hybrid unless the non-ICE system does at least 50% of the miles.
When its actually 5% hybrid like this thing, its clearly marketing noise.
It’s about the legislation. For example, in London to classify as a hybrid the vehicle must be able to prove it can travel something like 22 miles on its batteries. This car and others is just built to meet these criteria and as the criteria change they will add more battery power. When its actually 5% hybrid like this thing, its clearly marketing noise.
The Porsche 918 was a good example of using a hybrid drivetrain not per se for performance but for legislation.
sidesauce said:
The CC is £11.50 and to be honest, from a convenience point of view it's a good thing - as a Londoner myself actually remembering to pay the CC is often more of a hassle than the sum of money involved. It's a similar reason as to why a diesel Bentley will appeal to some as the convenience of less time spent filling up outweighs the actual cost of doing so.
But we all know that’s just man maths bollcks though. 
Just set up CC autopay and diesel is about expanding the product range to the much larger number of less affluent who are swayed by minor local taxes due to their significance in the overall spend.
This sudden PH phobia of petrol stations and the desperate importance of not being able to spare 5 minutes a couple of times a week to stand at a pump is akin to listening to a bint justifying her shoes and handbag purchases.
And let’s not forget that you don’t even fill your own car up but send a member of staff or a doorman to do it. Or even contract with someone like Zebra who have just started to expand their service to the less well heeled.
The real reason they will sell lots of these is the same I bought Teslas and my next is going to be a hybrid.
It's a very good way of shoving a very nice car through your company and pay very little tax on it. For the last decade if you wanted to buy something nice had to do it privately now you can put your huge 4x4 or Limo through the company just look at the Panamera Turbo Hybrid.
My Father like Bentleys this will give him the option of having one as his daily on the company he won't give toss about the running costs or CO2 just a good tax deal.
It's a very good way of shoving a very nice car through your company and pay very little tax on it. For the last decade if you wanted to buy something nice had to do it privately now you can put your huge 4x4 or Limo through the company just look at the Panamera Turbo Hybrid.
My Father like Bentleys this will give him the option of having one as his daily on the company he won't give toss about the running costs or CO2 just a good tax deal.
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