Tag Archives: EVs

News

Bentley Hits the Brakes on Its EV-Only Future, but the Next Flying Spur Still Looks Electrifying

Like many automakers reassessing their electric dreams, Bentley is taking a step back from the fast lane of full electrification. The storied British marque has quietly eased off the throttle on its “all-EV by 2030” plan, now pushing that goalpost to 2035.

That’s not to say the Crewe-based brand is abandoning its vision of a silent, zero-emission future—just that it’s acknowledging reality. Market demand, regulatory limbo, and the expectations of Bentley’s well-heeled clientele have prompted a more measured approach. Between now and then, expect a mix of internal-combustion, hybrid, and plug-in hybrid offerings to carry the torch.

A Flying Spur for Every Powertrain

At the heart of Bentley’s recalibrated strategy sits the next-generation Flying Spur, which is shaping up to be one of the most versatile sedans in the brand’s history. While official details remain as tightly guarded as a royal’s address, whispers from Crewe suggest that the big Bentley will arrive with three flavors: a traditional twin-turbo V8, a PHEV setup, and a fully electric variant sitting atop the range.

The internal-combustion model isn’t going quietly. Expect a heavily revised 4.0-liter V8 pushing somewhere between 600 and 700 horsepower and up to 664 lb-ft of torque. The plug-in hybrid, meanwhile, will pair that same V8 with a rear-mounted electric motor and a 25.9-kWh battery, delivering an eye-opening 771 horsepower and 738 lb-ft through an eight-speed dual-clutch gearbox.

For those who prefer the whisper of electrons, the EV version will reportedly share its bones with the upcoming Porsche Cayenne Electric. Expect up to 1,000 horsepower, a 113-kWh battery pack, and around 370 miles of range—plus wireless charging capability for the ultimate valet flex.

Design: Bold, Bright, and a Bit Brutal

Bentley previewed its next design chapter earlier this year with the EXP 15 fastback concept, a striking vision that hinted at where the brand is headed. The next Flying Spur will likely channel much of that concept’s DNA—but with the production realism Bentley buyers expect.

Gone are the soft ovals of old. In their place: slim vertical LED headlamps framing a rectangular, backlit version of the brand’s iconic upright grille. The long bonnet, sloping roofline, and muscular haunches remain, while frameless windows add a sleek, modern flourish. Don’t look for flush door handles, though—regulators apparently didn’t share Bentley’s enthusiasm for them.

Out back, a halo-style OLED taillight strip stretches across a smooth panel, anchored by a minimalist diffuser and subtle lip spoiler. The overall impression is clean, assertive, and unmistakably Bentley.

Inside: Tradition Meets Tomorrow

Bentley interiors have always blended opulence with craft, and the next Flying Spur looks set to take that ethos into the digital age. Drawing inspiration from the EXP 15, the cabin is expected to feature a wing-shaped dashboard, backlit wood veneer, and dual OLED displays—all tied together by Bentley’s signature knurled metal controls.

More futuristic touches could include an 87-inch augmented-reality head-up display, an AI-driven voice assistant, and even a retractable digital headliner for immersive ambient effects. Rear passengers, naturally, won’t be left out: expect reclining massage seats, fold-out tables, and modular display pods that redefine first-class travel on four wheels.

The Competition: Rarefied Air

The Flying Spur has always danced in rare company, and the next-gen version won’t be any different. Its primary sparring partners remain the Rolls-Royce Ghost and Mercedes-Maybach S-Class, though Bentley’s hybrid and EV strategy could also tempt buyers away from newer tech-driven luxury sedans like Huawei’s Maextro S800 in China.

The Road Ahead

Bentley’s decision to slow its EV rollout might look like hesitation, but it feels more like calibration. The company isn’t rejecting the electric age—it’s ensuring its values of craftsmanship, performance, and presence aren’t lost in translation.

Expect the next Flying Spur to break cover in late 2026 or early 2027, wearing the weight of Bentley’s heritage and the promise of its future. Until then, the message from Crewe is clear: luxury isn’t about rushing—it’s about arriving perfectly.

Source: Bentley

News

Renault’s Big Little Revolution: Europe’s New E-Car Era Could Start at 15% Off

Europe’s next automotive revolution might not roar into life — it could hum quietly out of a French factory, wearing a diamond badge and a lower price tag.

Renault, the company that’s spent over a century proving that “sensible” and “stylish” don’t have to be enemies, says it’s ready to slash the prices of its smallest EVs — the 4, 5, and upcoming Twingo — by up to 15%. Not with wild new models or gimmicky concepts, but with something far rarer in the modern car world: common sense.

And it all hinges on a bold new idea from Brussels — the European Union’s proposed E-Car category. Think of it as Europe’s answer to Japan’s kei cars: small, affordable electric vehicles built in Europe, for Europe. The aim? To boost EV sales, protect jobs, and fend off the relentless advance of Chinese-built bargain EVs currently flooding the market.

But where others see regulatory complexity, Renault sees opportunity.

Provost’s Pause: A Plea for Breathing Room

Renault Group’s chief strategist, François Provost, has a simple request for Europe’s lawmakers: give engineers a break.

“I don’t ask to remove regulation,” he says, leaning into the mic with the calm intensity of a man who’s read one too many EU documents. “No, I just ask to have ten or fifteen years without new regulation.”

The reason? By 2030, Europe plans to roll out a staggering 107 new automotive regulations — most of them safety or ADAS-related. That’s everything from lane-keeping systems to driver monitoring cameras. The cost of compliance, Provost says, isn’t just measured in euros, but in time, engineering hours, and ultimately, customer price tags.

“Every year,” he explains, “my engineers must redo the job they did last year, just to stay compliant.”

In other words: too many cooks, too many rules, not enough affordable cars.

Europe’s New Small Car Code

If the EU’s E-Car framework lands as expected next month, it’ll set strict parameters:

  • Length under 4.1 metres
  • Lifetime CO₂ output below 15 tonnes
  • Locally built — batteries and all

Sounds tailor-made for Renault’s current A- and B-segment electric cars. So rather than designing a new model, Provost says the brand’s mission is to make the existing ones cheaper.

How? By trimming production costs through Ampere, Renault’s EV efficiency arm. The new Twingo has already achieved a 25% cost reduction, and the company’s target is 40%. That last 10–15%, says Provost, will go straight to the customer.

That could make the next-gen Twingo or Renault 5 one of the most attainable electric cars in Europe — and possibly the first EVs to feel like proper spiritual successors to the people’s cars of old.

Meanwhile at Dacia…

Of course, Renault’s scrappy sibling Dacia has its own tricks. The brand’s Hipster city car concept — a tongue-in-cheek name for what might be the most democratic EV yet — points toward a potential sub-£15,000 electric model.

Provost plays coy on whether it’ll ever reach production, but it’s not hard to imagine Dacia turning that idea into something real if the new rules make it viable. After all, this is the company that built an empire on no-nonsense affordability.

The Bigger Picture: Saving Europe’s Soul

Provost’s final argument hits home like a punchy editorial from this very magazine. Europe, he says, is in danger of pricing itself out of mobility.

Car prices rise. Regulations multiply. People stop buying. The average car on Europe’s roads now clocks in at 12.5 years old, and that means no progress — not in emissions, not in safety, not in jobs.

“So you change your playbook,” he says. “Start from what price do people need to pay to buy cars again?”

It’s a surprisingly revolutionary idea — that saving Europe’s car industry might start not with another €100,000 luxury EV, but with an honest, compact Renault that ordinary people can afford.

Renault isn’t trying to outsmart Tesla or out-flash the Chinese EV upstarts. It’s trying to remind Europe what a small car can be — and why we fell in love with them in the first place.

If the EU gets this right, the next automotive renaissance won’t come from Silicon Valley or Shanghai. It’ll come from a quiet hum down a French back road, under the glow of a Twingo’s LED smile.

Source: Autocar

News

Volvo Plots Its Electric Future — With Scandinavian Calm and Geely Muscle

Volvo, that most Swedish of carmakers — all calm tones, high safety, and minimalist furniture chic — just rolled out a business plan that sounds, well, almost aggressive. At an investor event in Stockholm, the brand outlined how it plans to make serious money out of going electric. Not just survive it — profit from it. The number they’ve set their sights on? A tidy EBIT margin north of 8 per cent. That’s boardroom code for “we’re going to make proper cash again, thank you very much.”

And at the heart of this grand Scandinavian scheme is a car with the charisma to make Tesla sweat and BMW’s accountants nervous — the Volvo EX60. Due to be revealed in January 2026, this mid-size SUV will sit squarely in the most hotly contested segment on Earth. It’s built on Volvo’s new SPA3 architecture, a flexible, future-proof base that’ll underpin the brand’s next wave of electric machines. Volvo says it’ll be a game-changer for price, performance, and cost. Bold words — but then again, this is Volvo 2.0: calm on the outside, quietly ruthless underneath.

“Electrification is an opportunity for us and the main driver for growth,” said CEO Håkan Samuelsson, doing his best to sound like a man who doesn’t secretly own a petrol V90 for fun. And he has a point. Volvo’s relationship with its parent company Geely — once considered an odd couple — is now paying off in spades. Joint hardware sourcing, shared tech, and a regionalised manufacturing strategy mean the Swedes can make electric cars faster and cheaper than ever before, without compromising that crisp, ethical image.

Fredrik Hansson, the CFO, threw around the sort of words that usually make investors nod sagely — “variable cost reductions,” “hardware synergies,” and “structurally lower investments.” Translated: Volvo’s tightening its belt, sharing its toys, and making sure every krona does more work. The brand’s SEK 18 billion cost-and-cash action plan (that’s billions with a B) is all part of a push to bring spending down to “an affordable level.” Which is finance-speak for “we’ve spent enough on fancy factories for now.”

But there’s a clever twist here. Volvo isn’t just trimming costs; it’s doubling down on brains. By expanding its in-house software platform across all models — even hybrids — it’s aiming to create one seamless digital experience. Your car updates, adapts, and maybe even apologises when it gets something wrong. It’s all part of the company’s drive to make its cars not only electrified but intelligent.

On the commercial side, Volvo’s shaking up how it sells cars, too. Think fewer middlemen, more online direct sales, and marketing that’s actually designed to pull new customers in without setting money on fire. A more customer-centric sales model means better prices for buyers and better margins for Volvo — a rare win-win in the automotive jungle.

So, what’s the takeaway from all this corporate theatre? Volvo’s quietly building momentum. It’s laying the groundwork for an electric future that’s not just sustainable, but properly profitable. The EX60 will be the first big test — the car that proves whether Volvo can take on the likes of Audi’s Q6 e-tron and BMW’s iX3 on merit and margin.

If it drives as cleanly as the spreadsheets promise, it might just be the most important Volvo since the XC90 turned the brand into a global player two decades ago.

Because in a world obsessed with shouting about horsepower and range, Volvo’s playing the long game — and doing it with typical Scandinavian poise. Calm. Quiet. And possibly about to make a fortune.

Source: Volvo