Bentley CEO Frank-Steffen Walliser has confirmed that the British luxury brand will still be launching its first all-electric model, a smaller sister to Bentley’s best-selling Bentayga SUV, next year despite rivals rowing back on electrification plans.
Lotus has re-engineered its Eletre EV SUV to accept a new plug-in hybrid powertrain, yet Walliser is confident that the new electric Bentley will find buyers and has confirmed that there are no plans to offer a hybrid version of the Luxury Urban SUV.
Asked if there were ready buyers for the new electric SUV, Walliser told The Independent: “I think that's one of the tricky tasks that we are heading for – where's really the interest and how big is the market in reality.
“Part of the Bentley strategy is not to replace a car, so Benteyga will continue, so we don't have to, let me call it, force people to change from a combustion engine or plug-in hybrid car to today into an electric car. So, we are targeting and looking for new customers that's in addition to our business.
“This is a little bit of a different position than in some of the premium and upper premium offers and also what other competitors are doing.
“I strongly believe we have a very interesting offer, and we have no intention to put an ICE engine in and to put a plug-in hybrid drivetrain in. Number one, technically it’s not feasible. And number two, if that's not part of our strategy – we split the strategy.
“Just to remember, we are targeting a charging speed of a hundred miles in approximately seven minutes. And again, we are looking to create a segment and the type of car that only Bentley can do.”
Although Bentley is pushing on with its EV plans, Walliser also admitted that there was “a renewed interest in ICE [internal combustion engine] cars”.
“We are following now, for the last nearly two years, a balanced portfolio depending on the markets and the customer needs between electric cars, plug-in hybrids, and Supersports,” said Walliser.
Plug-in hybrid development continues, with Walliser saying that he would like “updated engines, a new gearbox, new electric motors, different chassis, and a new battery to make really an impact.” With the Bentayga Bentley’s biggest seller, with its plug-in hybrid technology, Walliser confirmed we would not be seeing a new model until towards the end of the decade.
Walliser was speaking at the announcement of Bentley’s latest results with the company reporting a seventh consecutive year of profitability, with revenue of €2.6 billion for 2025, down by just one per cent despite a tougher global market and a five per cent drop in customer deliveries.
Bentley said the small dip in revenue reflected its continued focus on higher-value models and personalisation rather than chasing outright sales volumes.
Demand for Bentley’s most expensive and highly personalised models continued to grow, particularly those produced by the Mulliner bespoke division, which helped support profitability despite lower overall volumes. The Bentayga remained the company’s best-selling model globally, with the recently introduced Bentayga Speed helping maintain the SUV’s strong performance in key markets.
Commenting on the results, Walliser said: “2025 was a pivotal year for Bentley as we continue our preparation of the next generation of Bentleys including our upcoming all-electric model.”
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