Skip to main content
Sister Publication Links
  • Automotive News
  • Automobilwoche
  • Automotive News Canada
  • Automotive News China
Subscribe
  • Subscribe
  • Newsletters
  • Login
  • HOME
    • Latest news
    • Automakers
    • Suppliers
    • New Product
    • Environment/Emissions
    • Sales By Market
    • On The Move
    • Auto Shows
    • Munich Auto Show
    • Geneva Auto Show
    • Paris Auto Show
    • Beijing Auto Show
    • Shanghai Auto Show
  • Features
    • Long Read
    • Interview of the Month
    • Focus on Electrification
    • Focus on Technology
    • Segment Analysis
    • Cars & Concepts
    • Supplier Spotlight
    • Europe By The Numbers
  • Opinion
    • Blogs
    • Commentary
    • Guest columnists
  • Photos
    • Photo Galleries
    • Geneva Photo Gallery
    • Beijing Photo Gallery
    • Frankfurt Photo Gallery
    • Paris Photo Gallery
    • Shanghai Photo Gallery
  • Podcasts
  • Car Cutaways
  • EVENTS
    • ANE Congress
    • ANE Rising Stars
    • ANE Eurostars
  • More
    • Publishing Partners
    • Social Media
    • Contact Us
    • Media Kit
    • About Us
    • Capgemini: Invent Head on automotive takeaways from CES 2023
    • Capgemini: Securing the industry's future through a radical rethink
    • Capgemini: Succeeding with the automated driving journey through AI
    • Capgemini: The circular economy is spurring new thinking on EV batteries
    • Capgemini: Toyota and Capgemini leaders on how OEMs can handle industry changes and succeed
    • HEXAGON: Plugging into data is the only way to make winning EVs
    • TUV Rheinland: Ideas, services and certifications for smart mobility
    • TUV Rheinland: Testing of automated and autonomous vehicles on test tracks
    • Toyota Europe
    • UFI Filters
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Twitter
MENU
Breadcrumb
  1. Home
  2. Geneva Auto Show
March 08, 2017 12:00 AM

Bentley surprises with first electric concept car

Hannah Elliott
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email
  • More
    Print
    Share
    Share
    Share
    Share
    Share
    Share

    NEW YORK -- Although most of the notable debuts at the Geneva auto show are teased months ahead of time, Bentley came out with a surprise showing of the marque's first full-electric concept.

    The Bentley EXP 12 Speed 6e Concept is meant to explore the possibility of Bentley producing a battery-powered vehicle for production; it's a separate endeavor from the recently promised plug-in hybrid Bentayga SUV, which is due in 2018.

    If it is received well by VIP guests and analysts at future car circuit stops in Shanghai and Pebble Beach, said executives, the convertible could lead to an electric vehicle from Bentley by 2021.

    "This will give us a very good indication of where we are," Wolfgang Duerheimer, the CEO of Bentley Motors, said during an interview in Geneva. "Do we need it? Or are we okay to still have combustion engines and hybrids, that's it? This is what we want to find out.

    "We want to send a clear message: 'If we do it, this is what it would look like.' EVs don't necessarily need to look like a refrigerator. They can appeal. They can be sexy. They can be emotional."

    The front hood is split into two air vents and has "crystal cut" round LED headlights and a massive lattice-style Bentley front grille done in silver and rubbed copper. When the car starts, a white "6e" symbol illuminates beneath the mesh of the grille.

    There's a general old/new mix to the two-seater, Bentley's head of design, Stefan Sielaff, said of the aesthetic strategy during an interview in Geneva. For example, two tiny round cameras placed where the side mirrors typically would be are far advanced over typical cars, but were designed to look like vintage stealth aircraft fuselages. And the round bulls-eye air vents along the front dash are stubbornly manual, even though they sit above a panel of touch-screen dashboard buttons that let the passenger adjust comfort and entertainment settings.

    There are also two buttons at the glass top of the lopped-off, crescent-shaped steering wheel: one you push to boost the car's performance and other you push to limit it for safety in unpredictable driving conditions. At the center of the car, a solid piece of curved glass forms a high-definition OLED screen that controls navigation, entertainment, and climate control.

    Bentley is not yet releasing information about the range, size or capabilities of the vehicle, but it will likely be a high-performance car.

    Representatives did say it would use both rapid inductive charging for a cable-less experience, and an AC power supply through an outlet in the back, hidden under the license plate, as a backup. The 12 Speed also has connected on-board concierge services directly from Bentley.

    The car on the floor in Geneva did not come with a top, but if it goes to production it will most certainly have a softtop rather than a hard top, Sielaff said. Bentley has never produced a hardtop convertible.

    If production does begin, it's likely an all-electric Bentley would reach China first as it will appeal to environmental concerns there and a large group of very wealthy consumers.

    "We forecast that some metropolitan areas around the world will need to change dramatically, otherwise the air quality is just not acceptable any more, and this applies to Shanghai and Beijing," Duerheimer said, adding that similar effects in London, Paris, and Los Angeles may also apply. "There will be large areas around the globe where they don't need to bother with EVs, but what we forecast is we could have specific hotspots where things change dramatically, and either you have an answer for this or you might be out of the market."

    "We don't want our people who love luxury and love Bentley to change to a different brand and not use their Bentleys anymore," the CEO said. "We want to let people know in case you want electric power from Bentley, this is what we are making."

    RECOMMENDED FOR YOU
    Geneva show cancelled as organizers trade snow for sand
    Related Articles
    The Bentley EXP 12 Speed 6e concept
    Recommended for You
    Geneva show 2020
    Geneva show cancelled as organizers trade snow for sand
    Geneva show postponed until 2023
    Geneva show postponed until 2023
    Geneva show 2020
    Geneva show will keep cars as main focus
    Capgemini Invent Head on automotive takeaways from CES 2023
    Sponsored Content: Capgemini Invent Head on automotive takeaways from CES 2023
    Sign up for free newsletters
    EMAIL ADDRESS

    Please enter a valid email address.

    Please enter your email address.

    Please verify captcha.

    Please select at least one newsletter to subscribe.

    You can unsubscribe at any time through links in these emails. For more information, see our Privacy Policy.

    Get Free Newsletters

    Sign up and get the best of Automotive News Europe delivered straight to your email inbox, free of charge. Choose your news – we will deliver.

    You can unsubscribe at any time through links in these emails. For more information, see our Privacy Policy.

    SUBSCRIBE TODAY

    Get 24/7 access to in-depth, authoritative coverage of the auto industry from a global team of reporters and editors covering the news that’s vital to your business.

    SUBSCRIBE NOW
    Connect with Us
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • LinkedIn
    • Instagram

    Founded in 1996, Automotive News Europe is the preferred information source for decision-makers and opinion leaders operating in Europe.

    Contact Us

    1155 Gratiot Avenue
    Detroit MI  48207-2997
    Tel: +1 877-812-1584

    Email Us

    ISSN 2643-6590 (print)
    ISSN 2643-6604 (online)

     

    Resources
    • About us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise with us
    • Advertise with Us
    • Ad Choices Ad Choices
    • Sitemap
    Awards
    • Rising Stars
    • Eurostars
    • Leading Women
    Legal
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • Privacy Request
    Automotive News Europe
    Copyright © 1996-2023. Crain Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    • HOME
      • Latest news
      • Automakers
      • Suppliers
      • New Product
      • Environment/Emissions
      • Sales By Market
      • On The Move
      • Auto Shows
        • Munich Auto Show
        • Geneva Auto Show
        • Paris Auto Show
        • Beijing Auto Show
        • Shanghai Auto Show
    • Features
      • Long Read
      • Interview of the Month
      • Focus on Electrification
      • Focus on Technology
      • Segment Analysis
      • Cars & Concepts
      • Supplier Spotlight
      • Europe By The Numbers
    • Opinion
      • Blogs
      • Commentary
      • Guest columnists
    • Photos
      • Photo Galleries
      • Geneva Photo Gallery
      • Beijing Photo Gallery
      • Frankfurt Photo Gallery
      • Paris Photo Gallery
      • Shanghai Photo Gallery
    • Podcasts
    • Car Cutaways
    • EVENTS
      • ANE Congress
      • ANE Rising Stars
      • ANE Eurostars
    • More
      • Publishing Partners
        • Capgemini: Invent Head on automotive takeaways from CES 2023
        • Capgemini: Securing the industry's future through a radical rethink
        • Capgemini: Succeeding with the automated driving journey through AI
        • Capgemini: The circular economy is spurring new thinking on EV batteries
        • Capgemini: Toyota and Capgemini leaders on how OEMs can handle industry changes and succeed
        • HEXAGON: Plugging into data is the only way to make winning EVs
        • TUV Rheinland: Ideas, services and certifications for smart mobility
        • TUV Rheinland: Testing of automated and autonomous vehicles on test tracks
        • Toyota Europe
        • UFI Filters
      • Social Media
        • Facebook
        • Instagram
        • LinkedIn
        • Twitter
      • Contact Us
      • Media Kit
      • About Us