London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Jul 29, 2026

Bentley is going electric whether you like it or not

Bentley is going electric whether you like it or not

Bentley had its best year ever for sales and profits in 2022 and is working toward becoming an all-electric automaker by 2030 with more customers interested in making the switch.

The luxury automaker sold 15,174 vehicles worldwide and turned a profit of $752 million, both all-time records for the brand.

Profits increased 82% over the prior year driven by a 20.9% return on sales, which benefited from an increasing number of high specification and bespoke vehicle orders.

"We have built a sustainable financial basis for the long-term, a competitive cost structure and unique market positioning, resulting in a historically strong cash generative that is providing the funding for the most ambitious race to full BEV and carbon neutrality in the luxury sector," Bentley Chairman and CEO Adrian Hallmark said.

"Our order bank and order intake rate so far in 2023 show strong potential to sustain our performance, although the business environment is becoming more volatile and risk factors are increasing."


Sales were led by the Bentayga, which accounted for 42% of deliveries.

The large SUV is available with a range of engines that includes a 12-cylinder, a V8 and a plug-in hybrid V6, but they will be going extinct soon.

Bentley is one of several brands that has committed toward going all-electric by 2030 and will launch its first zero-emissions model in 2025.

Adrian Hallmark is confident Bentley's customers will make the transition to electric.


During a roundtable with reporters, Hallmark said the company is "fully committed to go fully electric," even as some of its sister brands under the Volkswagen Group umbrella are investigating the use of carbon-neutral synthetic E-Fuels as a way to keep internal combustion engines alive.

Part of Bentley's appeal has always been its big, powerful motors, and the company estimates it has sold more vehicles with 12-cylinder engines over the past 20 years than all other automakers combined, but Hallmark thinks the choice is clear.

Bentley's 12-cylinder engine features a unique W-configuration.


E-Fuels have yet to be approved by regulators in Europe and elsewhere who are developing zero-emissions automobile regulations, which makes it a risky proposition for a smaller company like Bentley.

"We can’t afford to develop both," Hallmark told FOX Business.

"Looking at our customer profiles and the cities and countries restricting the use, we are on the right side of the equation."

He is confident most Bentley owners will come along for the ride.

"We’ve not done this without consulting our customers."

Hallmark said that four years ago just 14% of those polled said they were looking to buy an electric Bentley within five years, but now that number is 62%, and he expects it to be above 70% in an upcoming survey.

"We accept losing some customers, but it's better than losing 70%."

Its gasoline engines will be going out with a bang, however, and Hallmark said there will be special edition "last-ever" models as they are retired.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
NHS Leaders Warn Royal Mail Tariff Increases Will Raise Administrative Costs
Immigration Remains the Public's Top Concern in Britain, Ipsos Poll Finds
Britain Approves 16 New Grid Storage Projects to Strengthen Electricity Network
London-Listed Merger Activity Climbs Even as IPO Market Remains Weak
Institute of Directors Warns High Energy Costs and Taxes Continue to Weigh on UK Businesses
North Sea Industry Calls for Faster Approval of £10 Billion Rosebank and Jackdaw Projects
UK Inflation Eases to 2.6% but Higher Energy Costs Could Renew Price Pressures
Burnham Holds Talks With Saudi and Qatari Leaders on Middle East Security and Energy
Burnham and Zelenskyy Announce UK Electronic Warfare Technology Cooperation During London Visit
Prime Minister Andy Burnham Launches Cross-Party Push for Social Care Reform in England
Trump says Israel ‘would not survive’ without US
France Evacuates Atlantic Coast Resorts as Wildfire Risk Rises Again
Magnitude 7.1 Earthquake Strikes Kumamoto as Rescuers Search Collapsed Buildings
OpenAI Faces Demands for Full Disclosure After Models Breach Hugging Face
Nvidia Reportedly Takes Vast Texas Data-Centre Lease to Underwrite AI Expansion
Royal Collection Trust Income Falls as Palace Visits Retreat From Record Highs
FIFA’s Private-Investment Plan for World Cup Rights Draws European Revolt
Ministers Examine Social-Care Levy as Burnham Seeks Funding Settlement
UK Attractions Sector Forecast to Add £587 Million in Visitor Spending
England Coast Path Extends With New Suffolk Estuary Walking Route
Attorney General Wins Longer Jail Term for Fatal Dangerous Driving Case
Andrew and Tristan Tate Remain in U.S. Custody Pending UK Extradition
Royal Fleet Auxiliary Workers Secure Above-Inflation Pay Deal
Prime Minister Seeks Cross-Party Agreement on Social Care Reform
Court Upholds Competition Ruling Against Drugmakers Over Hydrocortisone Prices
UK Unveils Major Technical Education Reform for Secondary Schools
UK Judge Rebukes Home Office Over AI-Generated Errors in Asylum Case
UK and Ukraine Agree to Share Electronic Warfare Technology
Apple Briefly Crosses Five Trillion Dollar Valuation as Investors Retreat From AI Bets
Badenoch Offers Tory Votes to Keep Serious Offenders in Prison
Why Americans Queue for $15 Ice Cream and a $100 Caviar Pint
Another AI Genius Left the United States — and Silicon Valley Is Starting to Worry
Shein Reports $99mn Loss as Trade Barriers Test Low-Cost Model
CXMT Gains 466% in China’s Biggest IPO Since 2010
Amazon Seeks Approval for 5,105-Satellite Mobile Network
Burnham Puts School-to-Work Reform at Centre of Welfare Strategy
Johnson & Johnson Agrees to $5.5 Billion Talc Lawsuit Settlement
EU AI Act Shapes Global Corporate Standards, Study Finds
UK-Japan Relations Expected to Deepen Under Burnham Government
Burnham Signals Tough Decisions on Council Tax Reform
UK Inflation Slows to 2.6% in June
Bank of England Holds Interest Rates at 3.75%
Prime Minister Burnham Opens Talks With Business Leaders on Economic Growth
Government Launches 'Number Ten North' to Drive UK Devolution
Labour Regains Poll Lead After Burnham's First Weeks in Office
Prime Minister Burnham Rules Out Early UK General Election Before 2029
Burnham Rules Out Replacing Council Tax and Stamp Duty
Fresh Heatwave Threatens to Rekindle France’s Historic Wildfire Crisis
The Burnham government is seeking to establish its credibility through ambitious social care reform while maintaining fiscal discipline and public confidence in the National Health Service. Labour's early improvement in opinion polls provides political momentum, but sustained support will depend on delivering tangible policy outcomes. Britain continues to reinforce its role in European security through long-term support for Ukraine, while climate-related risks, including increasingly severe wildfires across England and Scotland, are becoming a more prominent national resilience challenge alongside economic uncertainty.
United Kingdom Economy Remains Exposed to Global Energy Risks
×