On the Dash:
- Bentley unveiled the Torcal, its first fully electric vehicle, with a starting price of about $230,000.
- The luxury SUV retains Bentley design elements and uses an orchestral soundtrack to recreate the character of a combustion-powered model.
- The automaker says roughly half of early interest comes from existing customers, while the other half comes from potential new buyers.
Bentley unveiled its first fully electric vehicle, the Torcal SUV, on Wednesday in London, betting that wealthy buyers want zero-emission driving without losing the traditional styling that has defined the British luxury brand for more than a century.
Bentley CEO Frank-Steffen Walliser told Reuters the company always intended to build a Bentley first, and he said customers are not asking for a completely different car just because it is electric.
To deliver that familiarity, the Torcal keeps styling elements from Bentley’s combustion-engine models, including diamond-shaped lights that evoke the classic grille, even though an EV needs no grille for engine cooling. The SUV also recreates the feel of a V8 engine through an orchestral soundtrack built on timpani, with smaller drums that quicken as the vehicle accelerates.
Priced from £173,000 (about $230,000), the Torcal sits at the lower end of the automaker’s lineup and costs far less than Ferrari’s first EV, the Luce, which starts at €550,000 (about $628,000). Walliser said the model represents a more affordable Bentley that opens new markets alongside the brand’s existing clientele.
The automaker’s eyes new interest
Bentley has shown the vehicle to current and prospective customers and reports strong interest in Europe, the Middle East and U.S. states with high EV adoption. According to Walliser, about half of that interest comes from existing the automaker’s customers, while the other half comes from buyers new to the brand.
To build the Torcal, the company has invested £350 million (about $465 million) in its plant in Crewe, in northwest England. The company plans to begin a launch campaign in China next year.
Notably, the company previously delayed its first EV until 2026 and abandoned its target of going fully electric by 2030, saying customers were not ready for the shift. Meanwhile, Lamborghini, which like Bentley belongs to the Volkswagen Group, has delayed its first EV until the end of the decade, and McLaren said last week it has no plans for an EV. Both companies cited limited customer demand.
