Bentley's first EV delayed to late 2026

Bentley's first electric car will not debut until late 2026 and will not reach customers until the following year, CEO Adrian Hallmark said Tuesday when he announced the company's 2023 financial results.

This means that the electric car will arrive nearly two years later than 2020, when Bentley first announced its plans. According to Hallmark, the delay is due to software issues and challenges in adapting the platform procured from the Volkswagen Group to the standards required by Bentley.

Hallmark also said that Bentley will delay its earlier plan to sell only EVs by 2030 due to changing market conditions. He said that Bentley will continue to offer plug-in hybrid models in the new decade, but only for the first few years until they are replaced by EV successors.

Bentley is one of a growing number of automakers delaying their EV plans amid slower-than-expected demand for EV vehicles.

Despite the delay in its EV plans, Bentley aims to become a fully electrified brand this decade; Bentley's W-12 engine will cease production in April, and CNBC reported that production of Bentley's V-8 engine will begin in July or August with CNBC reported that production of Bentley's V-8 engines will continue only for plug-in hybrid powertrains, starting in July or August.

Interestingly, Hallmark has previously said that Bentley is in the unique position of having EV batteries that are actually cheaper than W-12 batteries and cannot wait to change to EVs.

The first EV will be a new model line for Bentley, and subsequent EVs will be redesigned versions of existing model lines. The first EV is expected to be a fusion of a sedan and a crossover, possibly similar to the first EV from Lamborghini, another VW Group brand. Lamborghini's electric car is due in 2028 and was teased last year by the Lanzador concept.