Tag Archives: electric vehicles

2024 Toyota Prius Prime SE

Posted on by

The Prius just keeps going. . . .

By Gary S. Vasilash

I suspect there is really nothing that “sells itself.” Sure, there are things that someone might need and go out and buy because of current conditions—like the people who make a run on snowblowers at Home Depot both before and after storms: no one needs to sell that equipment to the buyers.

But when it comes to things like automobiles, the number of people who have a sudden need and are capable of dropping a few grand to accommodate that need is probably quite small.

As is often pointed out, a vehicle is generally the second biggest purchase that someone makes, so consideration is involved in the process.

Still, if there is any type of vehicle that “sells itself” today, it is a hybrid.

Even though there is massive attention paid to electric vehicles, in 2024 hybrids (including the plug-in versions) had 11.9% of the total US light-duty market while EVs accounted for 8.1%.

And when is the last time you heard anything about a new hybrid? And compare that with the paid-for advertising or earned media (coverage in various outlets, including this one, often predicated on the loan of a vehicle by an OEM for assessment) for electric vehicles.

If not “selling themselves,” then people are becoming more interested in going hybrid.

The first Prius was available in the US market in July 2000. Which means it is coming up on its 25th anniversary.

Through the years the Prius has been both lauded and chastised. And it seems more the latter than the former.

There has always been the claim that because there are two powertrains (the internal combustion engine and the electric motor(s)) in a hybrid, it is too expensive for regular consumers—and the knock is often made by companies that were rolling out with electric vehicles that were significantly expensive, far more than the price of a Prius.

Consistently, Prius sales have been by mass manufacturing metrics “meh.”

Last year 44,711 were sold, and 38,052 the year before.

But it should be noted that in 2024 Toyota brand sold 546,738 hybrid vehicles in the US as the company now offers vehicles ranging from the Corolla to the Sienna to the Tundra with a hybrid powertrain.

Toyota seriously has the hybrid power and the consumers have a lot of choice.

The Prius, while having styling that has ranged from the dowdy to the bizarre, currently has an appealing look.

Looks good and you can drive and drive and drive before you need a fill-up. (Image: Toyota)

When the current body style was launched in 2023 in the US it was so striking that it was named the 2024 North American Car of the Year by the jury of the North American Car, Truck and Utility of the Year Awards, besting both the Honda Accord and the Hyundai Ioniq 6.

The last time the Prius won was in 2004, besting the Mazda RX-8 and Cadillac XLR, neither of which exist in contemporary production.

People have consistently wanted to get a Prius, and Toyota has consistently provided them.

The vehicle driven here is a plug-in hybrid. (The “Prime” moniker goes away for MY 2025 vehicles, at which point it simply is Prius Plug-in.)

If you’re not familiar with what that means, know that in the case of the Prius, on the rear quarter panel on the driver’s side you pop the door to fill the car with gas and on the opposite side there is an outlet to plug the car in either at home or at a Level 2 charging station.

This means there is full-electric range for the vehicle—up to 44 miles (based on ideal conditions).

It should be noted, however, that if you’re plugging it in on a standard 120-V outlet at home, it is going to take 11 hours to fully charge the battery. If you stop at a commercial Level 2 charger, then it will take about four hours.

When you go to the gas station, it will take you about five minutes to fill the tank.  The Monroney sticker says you’ll get 52 mpg city/highway combined, so with about 11 gallons in the tank that means over 500 miles from the liquid fuel.

But perhaps (1) you have a daily commute that is 40 miles or under and you don’t like visiting gas stations and you do have an outlet in your garage or (2) you are exceedingly environmentally conscious and don’t like combusting gasoline if you don’t have to. Which would make the plug-in version right for you.

The Prius (powertrain notwithstanding) now has a sporty look on the outside and a low seating position signifying sportiness on the inside. While this is appealing to some people, it will probably turn off others. But Toyota has more than a dozen other hybrids to choose from, so that’s covered.

There is a Prius with FWD, a Prius with AWD and the plug-in with FWD.

The first provides system (i.e., engine and motor(s)) horsepower of 194. The AWD version delivers 196 hp. And the plug-in has 220 hp.

There is a discernable difference with the +20 hp for those who are so inclined.

The SE is the base model. Cloth. Eight-inch screen. Manual seats. But a sticker under $33K.

But were you to go for the less powerful but base non-plug-in FWD Prius, you’d get 5 mpg more and spend a few grand less.

While the increased horsepower is nice, I think the 57 mpg is nicer.

However, some people want an EV but don’t have the money to buy one.

The Prius plug-in could be the answer. If the average American drives 40 miles per day and the plug-in provides approximately that range, there you go.

What’s more, when you need to drive from, say, Detroit to Chicago, you can do that, too, without having to think about making a long stop along the way for recharging because the gasoline engine will get the job done—in fact, you could drive there and more than three quarters of the way back without needing to stop for any kind of fuel.

2025 Hyundai Sonata Limited Hybrid

Posted on by

The future is now. . .

By Gary S. Vasilash

As the Grand Transformation to Electric Vehicles seems to be somewhat less transformative than we might have been led to believe by industry executives who were “all in” with varying levels of commitment (e.g., “We will be all electric by ____,” a date that is no longer uttered), there is a move back to hybrids.*

The knock on hybrids, since the Toyota Prius showed up on American roads in 2000, was that there are two powertrains (the regular engine and electric motor(s)), so that wasn’t going to be acceptable.

Except they were accepted.

And that two powertrain quibble gave rise to the “too expensive” mantra.

Now there is a move by some of the hybrid-skeptical companies to say, “Hey, we’ve got them, too! We’ve been behind them all along!”

(Insert polite coughing sound here.)

Hyundai has been offering a Sonata Hybrid since model year 2011.

Consistently.

But if there’s anything to know about Hyundai, the company is consistently producing vehicles that are stylistically and functionally advanced.

Although the 2025 Sonata Hybrid is a carryover from model year 2024, it still looks 10 years more innovative than anything out there.

Looks sensational and sips gas. (Image: Hyundai)

And it should be pointed out that the Limited trim driven here is the top-of-the-line (there is also the entry SEL trim).

So, going back to that “hybrids are too expensive,” know that this hybrid has a starting MSRP of $37,450. The one driven had a single option: $210 for floor mats.

Before looking at the Monroney for the car I guesstimated it would cost $50,000.

Not because of the “two powertrains are too expensive” schtick.

But because (1) it looks lux and (2) it is loaded.

Let’s roll through just some of the features on the vehicle:

  • Blind-spot and surround-view monitors
  • Parking collision-avoidance assist (for example: you can see on the 12.3-inch screen where the vehicle is in real space when you are backing out of a parking space, which is incredibly handy in lots that are designed to maximize the number of spaces and minimize the amount of space between them)
  • Panoramic sunroof
  • Leather seats
  • Heated and ventilated front seats
  • LED interior lights (this is something that needs to be seen because the difference between the illumination from them and the traditional incandescent lights is remarkable)
  • Bose premium audio
  • Power closing trunk (which really seems a bit too much, but when you look at how the trunk hinges, something that most people pay approximately zero attention to, are designed and integrated, you know that this is something that is conceivably beyond my $50K estimate to lux space)
  • And this list could go on to the extent that your eyes will glaze over, so as there are a few more things to say, I’ll stop

The vehicle has a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that is mated to a permanent magnet synchronous motor. The engine provides 150 hp. The motor 51 hp. And the way these things work, the sum of the two is not 201 hp but a combined 192 hp. The whole hybrid give-and-take is a tricky business.

Now this is a large-ish four-door sedan. It is 193.3 inches long, 73.2 inches wide, 56.9 inches high, and has an 111.8-inch wheelbase. It has a passenger volume of 104.4 cubic feet (i.e., it is roomy) and the aforementioned trunk has a 15.6-cubic foot capacity.

Its curb weight is 3,687 pounds.

All of which is to say that given the capacity of the engine and the size and weight of the vehicle, it is capable of propelling you when you drive—surface streets or freeways—as you probably normally drive. No head-snapping when you stand on the throttle, because 99.9% of the time—give or take a 0.1%–you are not feeling that you have to prove something when you are in a four-door midsize sedan, type of powertrain notwithstanding.

The reason people drive hybrids is not to sate their need for speed but because they don’t have a need to spend a whole lot of time at a gas station. The EPA numbers for the Sonata Limited Hybrid are 44 mpg city, 51 mpg highway, for a combined 47 mpg.

Hard to quibble with what it is or how it delivers the kind of fuel economy people are looking for.

==

*It should be noted that Hyundai does have EVs, including the Kona Electric, the Ioniq 5 and the Ioniq 6. But it also offers hybrids in the Elantra, Santa Fe and Tucson.

Be Like Amazon

Posted on by

Maybe not as wealthy as Jeff Bezos, but. . .

By Gary S. Vasilash

One of the ways that Rivian hasn’t become one of those EV companies that has either gone out of business, is teetering on the edge of going out of business, or is in some weird statis that has people wondering how the heck it seems to exist, is through support of Amazon.

Back in 2019 Amazon invested $1.3 billion in the EV company and ordered 100,000 delivery vans.

And now companies of all sizes can get their own Rivian Commercial Van.

Rivian cargo vehicle: You, too, can get one for your delivery needs. (Image: Rivian)

The vehicle comes in two sizes.

The 500 measures 248.5 inches long, 114.7 inches tall, and 96.4 inches wide (with mirrors).

The 700 is 278 inches long, 114.7 inches high, and 103.5 inches wide (with mirrors).

The 500 has a cargo volume of 487 cubic feet and a payload capacity of 2,663 pounds.

The 700 has a volume of 652 cubic feet and capacity of 2,258 pounds.

The 500 has an estimated range of 161 miles.

The 700’s is 160 miles.

The starting price for the 500: $79,900.

The starting price for the 700: $83,900.

Tom Solomon, senior director, Business Development, Rivian, said:

“Amazon currently has more than 20,000 in its fleet and delivered over a billion packages from its Electric Delivery Vans in 2024 alone.”

He added: “We’re excited to now be able to open sales to fleets of all sizes in the US, whether they want one van or thousands.”

Clearly they’d be happy were a fleet to go for the latter.

Of course, business being business, one would be helpful, too.

Yes, California Is Different

Posted on by

Here’s what the dealers sold in the state in 2024. It may surprise you

By Gary S. Vasilash

If someone asked what the best-selling automotive brand was in California in 2024, odds are “Tesla” would leap to mind as the leader.

Close, but no whatever the alternative to a cigar is.

Tesla, which has 3.9% of the total U.S. market, with 11.6% in California, is in second place.

Toyota is the top seller in California according to the California New Car Dealers Association (CNCDA).

In 2024 it had 16.4% of the California market. 12.8% in the U.S.

Coming in third in the Golden State is Honda, with 10.9% of the market. Nationally it is at 8.1%.

So far as California numbers go, after third place the rest of the brands have single-digit (not including the bit to the right of the decimal) shares of the market:

• Ford 7.4%
• Chevy 6.2%
• Kia 4.8%
• Hyundai 4.5%
• Nissan 3.9%
• Mercedes 3.9%
• BMW 3.7%
• Lexus 3.6%
• Subaru 3.4%
• Mazda 2.3%
• GMC 2.1%
• Audi 1.9%

Although some have chastised Toyota for its limited EV offering, odds are Toyota dealers are happy with the approach.

Note how Toyota has a 4.8% advantage over Tesla. Tesla has just a 0.7% advantage over Honda.

You may note what’s missing from the top 15 brands: any Stellantis brand.

They didn’t do particularly well in the California market in 2024.

Compared to 2023 new car registrations in the state:

• Ram -21.5%
• Jeep -28.6%
• Chrysler -32.1%

The good news is that apparently people like muscle cars in California because Dodge registrations were up 6.9%. (What’s interesting is that on the list of those in the positive territory, Toyota’s increase was just 4.4%, which indicates that having 16% of the total market is probably about as good as you can get.)

What is notable is how Ford and Chevy play so very well on the national level.

While Ford, as mentioned, has 7.4% of the California market, it has 11.8% of the U.S. market.

And Chevy, with 6.2% in California, is at 10.9% nationally.

While it probably has a lot to do with pickups, Californias do buy a number of those, too: 37,655 Chevy Silverados and 36,546 F-Series trucks were registered in 2024.

Here’s something to consider:

According to the CNCDA:

“New light vehicle registrations in California declined a slim 0.3 percent from 2023 to 2024. The U.S. market improved by 3.4 percent last year.

“All of the decrease in the state market last year was attributable to Tesla, which had an 11.6 percent decline. Registrations for all other brands increased 1.4 percent.”

If Musk didn’t seem to be so occupied elsewhere you might think he be thinking long and hard about that non-trivial decline in California.

California has some 1.1-million EVs registered. If you take the next four states with high levels of EV registrations—Florida, Texas, Washington, and Arizona—combined they have 520,000 EVs rolling around.

One part of the decline for Tesla in California could be saturation and aging models. Another could be politics, but if that’s an issue, it will really come to the fore in the results for 2025.

//

Incidentally: if you want more shinymetalboxes, check out the Substack at https://shinymetalboxes.substack.com

Audi Engineers Portal Axles

Posted on by

Yes, it is about “Vorsprung durch Technik” (Advantage through Technology), but. . . .

By Gary S. Vasilash

While portal axles are usually used in things that are used by military vehicles or vehicles that go way off road, there are some like the Mercedes G500 that use them, too.

A key difference between a portal axle and a conventional one is that the portal axle is offset above the center of the wheel hub. There is a gear mechanism on the hub that transfers the power to drive the wheels.

The reason for the portal axle is to provide increased ground clearance.

Remember when Audi concept vehicles were sexy? (Image: Audi)

Audi says it has developed new portal axles that it is using on a prototype Q6 e-tron offroad vehicle.

The prototype is based on the automaker’s Premium Platform Electric (PPE).

 According to the company while conventional portal axles can increase torque from 20 to 30% at the wheels, Audi’s increases it by 50%.

Audi CEO Gernot Döllner said of the vehicle: “The model shows the potential that our platform for all electric vehicles already has today. This vehicle can claim new ground. We look forward to seeing our customers’ reactions to this highly emotive car.”

Presumably more than a few customers are going to think it looks like something that has undergone massive suspension tuning for display at a venue like SEMA, not as something that is, well, an Audi.

Somehow the “Premium” part is overwhelmed by the engineering of the axles.

EV Issues in the UK

Posted on by

There is the mandate. Then there is the market.

By Gary S. Vasilash

One of the questionable Christmas presents that car companies doing business in the UK happened just before the holiday, when the country’s Department of Transport, which has on the books a mandate that by 2030 there will be no new vehicles sold with gasoline or diesel engines under their hoods, announced an eight-week period during which the OEMs would have the opportunity to weigh in on how this can be achieved.

Note this is not an “If.”

As things stand, there are annual targets that must be achieved in terms of zero-emission vehicle—a.k.a., electric vehicles—by the companies.

The UK government is committed to this, apparently, although one wonders if the auto industry begins to crumble because of the penalties associated with not meeting the targets.

Penalties in the form of a fine of £15,000 for every vehicle sold that doesn’t meet the target.

For example, consider Ford, which has been part of the UK’s automotive structure since 1911.

The mandate has it that 22% of a carmaker’s sales in 2024 are electric.

How did Ford do? Apparently 6.8% for the first 11 months, so unless there was some massive change, it will be well below the government bogey.

Which means serious fines.

This is sort of an insult-to-injury situation in that the company has been investing billions of dollars/pounds/euros—pick your currency—in EVs, and because people aren’t as interested in buying them as they are other products, it costs Ford (and other companies that don’t meet the mandate) more.

Heck of a business.

Or as Mike Hawes, head of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders trade association for the auto business in the UK, put it:

“Aside from the billions invested in new technologies and products, it has cost manufacturers in excess of £4 billion in discounting in the UK this year alone. This is unsustainable and, with the 2025 market looking under even greater pressure, it is imperative we get an urgent resolution, with a clear intent to adapt the regulation to support delivery, backed by bold incentives to stimulate demand.”

Which probably means that the government is going to have to pony up more money in order to generate demand.

And Ford isn’t the only company with the lack-of-demand situation. It is estimated EVs will represent 18.7% of the UK car market in 2024, not the mandated 22%.

In 2025 that goes up to 28%.

Hawes’ “unsustainable” is an understatement.

This isn’t just a UK issue.

In the US, where EV sales in 2024 were on the order of 9%, currently standing EPA greenhouse gas regulations have it that more than 50% will need to be EVs by 2030.

The word for that may be “unachievable.”

U.K. Facts About EVs

Posted on by

They’re concerned that people don’t know what they should about EVs. . .

By Gary S. Vasilash

In order to keep U.K. customers interested in the possibility of buying an electric vehicle, Auto Trader (a vehicle purchase platform), ChargeUK (an organization consisting of EV charging companies), and the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (a trade association representing OEMs and suppliers) have gotten together to combat misinformation about EVs.

This past February the House of Lords’ Environment and Climate Change Committee came out with a report that indicated there was a need for “clear and balanced information” regarding EVs for consumers.

And Auto Trader discovered that the number of retailers offering EVs on its site was at 35% for both 2023 and 2024. It had been 57% in 2022.

So this is what the three groups have come up with:

One of the interesting points is the 71,459 available chargers.

In the U.S., as of late August, there were over 192,000 publicly available chargers, according to the U.S. Federal Highway Administration.

To put that into context, the U.S. is 40 times larger than the U.K.; it has five times as many people, and nine times as many automobiles. Yet it has just 120,500 more public chargers.

According to the U.K. group there is one charger per four miles of road in the U.K.

The U.S. federal infrastructure plan is building out one charging station on the Interstate Highway System—per every 50 miles.

If there is concern about the lack of a significant uptake of EVs it should be in the U.S. far more than in the U.K.

VW 2025 ID. Buzz Pro S Plus

Posted on by

This is a vehicle that more people than you might imagine have been waiting for—even if they didn’t know it. . .

By Gary S. Vasilash

“GeekWire is unique among technology and business news sites, in that we look at the world through the lens of Seattle and the Pacific Northwest, where we’re based.” So the outlet describes itself.

The site has an “intense global interest in technology, ideas and innovation emerging from our backyard. Our motto is, ‘What happens here matters everywhere.’ Microsoft and Amazon are classic examples, but countless startups, research organizations, educational institutions and others based in the Seattle region also have an outsized impact on the world.”

So while the coverage is generally about the tech and the people related to Microsoft, Amazon and an array of outfits and organizations that you’re likely not to have heard of unless you are deep in the digital tech space, it also covers other things on occasion.

Like the Seattle Auto Show.

And its story on the event opens:

“As I pulled away from the Seattle International Auto Show on Thursday during a test drive of the highly anticipated Volkswagen ‘ID. Buzz’ electric van, a driver in a Tesla Cybertruck offered a thumbs up.

“It was all the confirmation I needed that the Buzz was going to be the buzzworthy vehicle at the annual show at Lumen Field Event Center.”

Yes, it is the type of vehicle that gets love whether it is in Seattle or Detroit.

Cost Consideration?

Which is absolutely appropriate for the rebirth of the VW Microbus: while in its heyday in the 1960s the Microbus was largely associated San Francisco scene, this new EV is somehow more appropriate for places like Seattle than Silicon Valley, south of San Francisco. That is, there is an income-based accessibility to the ID. Buzz, with a starting MSRP of $59,995, which is more in line with the median household income in Seattle ($129,715) than Silicon Valley ($146,143): the former probably is more concerned with sticker prices than the latter.

However, given that the median household income in the U.S. is more along the lines of $78,046, the ID. Buzz may not be for every household budget—but that won’t matter. Those who can probably will.

VW Germany Builds. U.S. Will Buy

At least for the first couple years every ID. Buzz available in the U.S. (it is built in a VW plant in Hannover and has been available in the Europe market since the latter half of 2022) will be purchased. People are drawn to the vehicle in a way few other vehicles of any configuration command.

And not just the type of people who read GeekWire.

It looks familiar. And fresh. Quite a feat. (Image: VW)

Of all of the vehicles I have driven in the past few years the ID. Buzz has had considerably more attention than any other.

Lots of Love

A 20-something HVAC technician who came to check my furnace, who says he’s thinking about buying an Accord: “That is really a cool vehicle.”

My 30-something Alfa Giulia Quadrifoglio-driving next-door neighbor: “I LOVE it!”

A 60-something man who walked over to the ID. Buzz when I was in a Barnes & Noble parking lot: “I remember the Microbus from when I was young. This is quite nice.”

And there were many others who were walking by who stopped and stared and drivers giving me a thumb’s up when I cruised by.

The thing is, none of the people that I talked with about the ID. Buzz brought up the fact that it is an electric vehicle. They didn’t care whether it was based on the MEB platform, which is meaningless to them. They didn’t know if it was a rear-drive vehicle (the one in question is) or whether there is a low center of gravity by having the 91-kWh lithium-ion battery located beneath the floor.

They weren’t overthinking it.

They simply thought it looks great.

And evidently VW found that design is the #1 reason why people are interested in it.

The Definition of “Capacious”

Of course, if you’re going to buy something like the ID. Buzz, you’re probably going to be interested in its cargo capacity, whether that’s in the context of having three rows of seats for people (depending on the types of seats selected, it handles six or seven people, and there is considerable third row legroom: 42 inches, which is 10 inches more than that offered in the roomy Kia EV9) or a whopping 146 cubic-feet of cargo capacity—and I use the word “whopping” advisedly: its capacity bests the Chevy Suburban—which is 2.6 feet longer (the ID. Buzz is 195 inches; the Suburban 226 inches)—by one cubic foot, and on more of an apples-to-apples comparison, it bests the Chrysler Pacifica PHEV minivan by five cubic feet (about the size of an average microwave oven).

(However, a word about cargo capacity. The aforementioned 282-hp electric motor that provides rear-wheel drive isn’t located in the front of the vehicle with a drive shaft traveling back to the rear axle, as would be the case of a vehicle with an internal combustion engine up front, but it is in the rear of the vehicle, below the location of the third row. So while other minivans provide more manipulation of the third row because they’re not restricted by a motor, to get the maximum cargo capacity from the ID. Buzz the third row needs to be removed, not exactly the sort of thing you’d want to do on a regular basis. Still, the second and third rows do fold flat. It is just that the third row can’t go into the floor, like the “Magic Seat” in the Honda Odyssey.)

Because this is an EV, the range must be stated: the rear-drive ID. Buzz provides a range of an estimated 234 miles. And to put that into context, according to the EPA, the 2025 Kia EV9 Standard Range RWD has a range of 230 miles, so the ID. Buzz is certainly in the mix.

Final Thought

The VW ID. Buzz has something most vehicles nowadays lack: Character.

That’s what its predecessor had, which explains why there is a resonance—even for those who may not be aware of it—that carries on in this reimagining.

Audi Becoming AUDI in China

Posted on by

No, that’s not a problem with the caps-lock on the keyboard…

By Gary S. Vasilash

Like many Western brands, Audi is having a bit of a struggle in China, a market it has been in since 1988.

After all, not only are native Chinese brands offering an array of compelling vehicles at all price points, including the upper end where Audi resides, but there is probably something of a bit of nationalism, as Chinese consumers are turning toward Chinese brands.

Consequently Audi is making a shift in its strategy in China and has developed the “Advanced Digitized Platform” with Chinese company SAIC.

AUDI E concept introduced at the Shanghai Motor Show. All caps. No rings. Is it going to shift perceptions of the brand in China? (Image: Audi. Or maybe AUDI)

According to Audi CEO Gernot Döllner: “The joint platform will be the basis for a new generation of state-of-the-art intelligent connected vehicles exclusive to China. The upcoming models are aimed at a promising and simultaneously demanding new customer segment. The cooperation will further expand the Audi portfolio of battery electric vehicles in China and accelerate the company’s transformation in the world’s largest market.”

The platform will be used to develop three models that fall within the midsize and full-size segments, with the first model becoming available next year.

Audi says the collaboration with SAIC allows a >30% decrease in the time required to get a model in market.

In addition to which, Audi has created a new brand for the China market:

AUDI

That’s right: an all-cap version of the existing name.

Also, the famous four-right logo is jettisoned.

Döllner:

“By launching this new brand for electric and intelligent models in China, Audi is breaking new ground to tap into new and more tech-savvy customer segments.”

Seems like Audi in China becoming AUDI is China is the sort of change that a company that is afraid of making a major change would do.

Too little too late?

Bentley’s Credible Claim

Posted on by

There’s luxury. And then there’s luxury. . .


Given that the average price of a Bentley is on the order of $300,000, when the company announces that it is going to “create an entirely new segment, the world’s first true Luxury Urban SUV,” you’ve got to give it to them.


After all, while we may think of “luxury” in the context of something from Mercedes—which, of course, has SUVs—it is that rarefied air that Bentley is in that Mercedes—even with its Maybach brand—is without.


The new SUV, which is to launch in 2026, is a battery electric vehicle. Presumably that explains the “Urban” part, as in the company figures this will not be a vehicle to take on some sort of grand tour.


Bentley plans to be fully EV by 2035.


Presently its Continental GT coupe, convertible and Flying Spur models are plug-in hybrids; the V8-based propulsion system replaces the W12 engine that had once been under the bonnets of the cars coming out of Crewe.