{
  "id": 9514645,
  "title": "Bentley tests wealthy buyers' interest in going electric with first EV",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/24/bentley-tests-wealthy-buyers-interest-in-going-electric-with-first-ev",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-09-24T07:29:27.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Business Recorder",
    "slug": "business-recorder",
    "url": "https://www.brecorder.com/news/40441017/bentley-tests-wealthy-buyers-interest-in-going-electric-with-first-ev"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Bentley unveiled its first fully electric vehicle, the Torcal SUV, on Wednesday, signaling confidence that wealthy buyers desire zero-emission motoring without abandoning the brand's distinctive design elements. The unveiling of the Torcal follows Ferrari's electric Luce, which faced criticism for its departure from the Italian brand's traditional low-slung, petrol-powered sports cars. In contrast, Bentley's new EV maintains styling cues from its combustion-engine models, including diamond-shaped lights that mimic a traditional front grille, despite the absence of such a feature in electric vehicles.\n\nThe Torcal SUV retains the essence of a Bentley, with a starting price of £173,000 ($230,000), making it more accessible compared to Ferrari's electric Luce, which begins at €550,000 ($628,000). Bentley CEO Frank-Steffen Walliser stated that the company's intention was always to create a \"Bentley first\" electric vehicle, emphasizing that customers are not seeking a radically different car simply because it is electric. Rolls-Royce, owned by BMW, and Lamborghini, a Volkswagen Group company, are the only other major ultra-luxury automakers currently selling EVs, with Lamborghini postponing its debut until the end of the decade and McLaren expressing no plans for an EV at present, citing limited customer demand.\n\nBentley had previously delayed the launch of its first EV until 2026 and abandoned a goal of becoming fully electric by 2030, citing a lack of customer readiness. However, strong interest from existing customers, as well as new buyers, has been noted, particularly in Europe, the Middle East, and U.S. states with high EV adoption rates. Walliser revealed that the company has invested £350 million ($465 million) in its Crewe, northwest England plant to manufacture the Torcal. British Business Minister Jonathan Reynolds hailed Bentley's investment as evidence that the right conditions are being created for growth in the UK.",
  "summary": "LONDON: Bentley on Wednesday unveiled its first fully electric vehicle, betting that wealthy buyers want zero-emission motoring without sacrificing the design cues that have defined the British luxury carmaker for more than a century. The launch of the Torcal SUV comes just months after Ferrari’s first EV drew criticism from some enthusiasts for bearing little resemblance to the Italian brand’s…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 5,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Handelsblatt",
        "title": "Luxury under current: SUV Torcal is supposed to bring Bentley into the electric age",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/23/luxus-unter-strom-suv-torcal-soll-bentley-ins-elektro-zeitalter-beamen",
        "published": "2026-09-23T18:15:04.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The National Business",
        "title": "First images of Bentley's Torcal, its first fully electric vehicle",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/23/first-images-of-bentleys-torcal-its-first-fully-electric-vehicle",
        "published": "2026-09-23T18:15:51.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Guardian Business",
        "title": "Bentley launches first fully electric car – with fake engine sounds to replace classic growl",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/23/bentley-launches-first-fully-electric-car-with-fake-engine-sounds-to",
        "published": "2026-09-23T18:15:55.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "BBC Business",
        "title": "Bentley unveils its first fully electric car",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/23/bentley-unveils-its-first-fully-electric-car",
        "published": "2026-09-23T19:21:10.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}