Bentley has unveiled its first electric vehicle, the Torcal — what makes it interesting and how much it costs
Kyiv • UNN
Bentley has unveiled the Torcal electric SUV, retaining its signature design and V8 sound. The model's price starts at 230 thousand dollars.
On Wednesday, Bentley unveiled its first fully electric car, betting that affluent buyers want to drive without harmful emissions while retaining the distinctive design features that have defined the British luxury-car brand for more than a century, UNN reports, citing Reuters.
The Torcal SUV was unveiled just a few months after Ferrari’s first electric vehicle drew criticism from some of the brand’s fans: it bore little resemblance to the Italian marque’s traditional low-slung sports cars with internal-combustion engines.
By contrast, Bentley’s debut electric vehicle is immediately recognizable as a member of the family. It retains the styling elements of models with internal-combustion engines — right down to diamond-shaped headlights that evoke the traditional radiator grille (although electric cars do not need one to cool the engine).
The car also recreates the sensation of a V8 engine through an accompanying sound based on the sound of orchestral timpani, supplemented by smaller drums whose tempo accelerates as the vehicle gains speed.
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"We have always sought first and foremost to create a Bentley," the company’s CEO, Frank-Steffen Walliser, told Reuters. "We believe people are not looking for a radically different car simply because it is electric."
Apart from Ferrari, the only other major ultra-luxury carmaker already selling an electric vehicle is Rolls-Royce (owned by BMW Group).
Lamborghini, which, like Bentley, is part of Volkswagen Group, has postponed the launch of its first electric vehicle until the end of the decade. British automaker McLaren said last week that it does not plan to produce electric vehicles; both companies attributed the decision to insufficient customer demand.
Bentley previously postponed the launch of its first electric vehicle until 2026 and abandoned its goal of switching entirely to electric power by 2030, saying that customers were not yet ready for such changes.
Unlike Ferrari’s electric Luce, whose price starts at 550,000 euros ($628,000), the Torcal occupies a lower price segment in Bentley’s lineup: its price starts at £173,000 ($230,000). According to Walliser, the model represents "a more affordable Bentley... which definitely opens up new markets."
Bentley is showing the car to existing and potential customers; significant interest has been recorded in Europe, the Middle East and those U.S. states where electric vehicles have a high level of adoption. An advertising campaign marking the model’s launch in China will begin next year.