London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Oct 22, 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
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology Commits Fifty Million Pounds to Establish Regional Artificial Intelligence Innovation Clusters
Ofgem Directs Major Energy Suppliers to Expand Vulnerable Household Support Funds Ahead of Winter Heating Season
Home Office and National Police Chiefs Council Unveil New Intelligence-Led Strategy to Tackle Organised Immigration Crime Networks
First Minister John Swinney Secures Scottish Parliament Approval for Comprehensive Climate and Green Energy Infrastructure Strategy
National Health Service England and Trades Union Congress Finalize Agreement on Emergency Winter Staffing and Pay Frameworks
HM Treasury and Department for Business and Trade Announce Multi-Billion-Pound Sovereign Investment Pact to Spur Regional Advanced Manufacturing
Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey Signals Potential for Faster Interest Rate Cuts as Domestic Inflation Pressures Ease Below Forecasts
Parliamentary Inquiry Highlights Urgent Need to Address Housing Shortage as Scottish Completions Hit Eleven-Year Low
United Kingdom and Singapore Sign Comprehensive Financial Agreement to Deepen Digital and Sustainable Market Ties
Greggs Announces Plan to Close Four Manufacturing Facilities and Cut Seven Hundred and Forty Jobs
International Monetary Fund Raises United Kingdom Economic Growth Forecast While Warning of Inflationary Pressures
Energy Security and Net Zero Committee Urges Government to Shift Policy Costs Onto Gas to Lower Household Bills
Housebuilding Across Scotland Plummets to Eleven-Year Low Despite Government Pledges to Tackle National Housing Emergency
Greggs Announces Factory Closures Across Northern England and Scotland Affecting Seven Hundred Forty Jobs
United Kingdom and Singapore Conclude Eleventh Financial Dialogue in Singapore to Deepen Cooperation on Digital Finance and Capital Markets
Energy Security and Net Zero Committee Urges Government to Shift Policy Costs to Gas Bills and Tap Windfall Profits to Lower Consumer Prices
British Broadcasting Corporation Announces Major Cost-Cutting Overhaul to Close Linear Broadcast Services for Television Channels BBC Three and BBC Scotland Alongside Digital Radio Station BBC Radio Four Extra
London Capital Markets Face Renewed Scrutiny After High-Profile Offerings Underperform Post-Listing
Green Party Wins Historic First Westminster Parliamentary By-Election in Gorton and Denton
Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds Unveils Sweeping Regulatory Overhaul for English Water Industry
United Kingdom Health Security Agency Confirms Thirty-Four Cases in Kent Meningitis Outbreak
Ministry of Defence Prepares Heat Pump Subsidy Cuts to Fund Urgent Military Modernization
British and European Union Officials Schedule Long-Awaited Bilateral Leaders Summit for November Twentieth
Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey Urges Strict Fiscal Credibility to Protect British Bond Markets
United Kingdom Inflation Rises to Three Point One Percent Driven by Escalating Fuel Costs
Profit Warnings Among London-Listed Companies Reach Two-Year High Amid Global Energy Shocks
Chancellor John Healey Signals Targeted Tax Changes on Banks and London Corporate Offices Ahead of Budget
British Government Reallocates Twenty-Five Per Cent of International Climate Finance to Global Biodiversity Projects
Initial British Carbon Border Taxes Set to Undercut Parallel European Union Tariffs on Industrial Imports
Whitehall Prepares National Zero-Interest Loan Initiative to Accelerate Domestic Heat Pump and Solar Adoption
European Union Offers British Automakers Access to Hybrid Vehicle Trade Protections Subject to Strict Regulatory Alignment
British Probation Officers Threaten Widespread Industrial Action After Rejecting Five Per Cent Government Pay Offer
Microsoft Abandons Major British Artificial Intelligence Data Centre Citing Severe National Grid Power Constraints
United Kingdom Inflation Accelerates to Three Point Four Per Cent Ahead of Chancellor John Healey's Inaugural Autumn Budget
Surging Cloned Number Plates Severely Complicate Traffic Enforcement and Police Investigations
Mounting Opposition Challenges Planned Rollout of Autonomous Taxis Across London
Influential Think Tank Urges Rejoining European Union to Navigate Geopolitical Crises
Government Review Recommends Slashing Benefits to Fund Youth Employment Initiatives
Senior Minister Shabana Mahmood Seeks New Law Enforcement Pact With European Union
Airbus Executive Warns Britain Risks Losing Crucial Role in European Space Industry
Exorbitant Electricity Costs Push British Steelmakers to Worst Competitive Position in Three Years
British Food and Beverage Exports to European Union Collapse by Over a Third Since Brexit
Up to Twenty English Maternity Units Face Impending Closure Due to Safety and Staffing Crises
Government Declares Severe Drought Across Southern England Following Record Dry Spell
Corporate Profit Warnings Reach Two-Year High Amid Middle East Conflict and Rising Costs
International Monetary Fund Warns Chancellor John Healey Against Proposed Bank Tax Raid
Northern Ireland Secures Favorable Agricultural Export Agreement with European Union
Scottish Government Approves Major Offshore Floating Wind Farm Near Aberdeenshire
High Speed Two Rail Project Faces Three Billion Pound Cost Escalation on Initial Phase
National Health Service Warns of Winter Capacity Crisis Across English Hospitals
×