Bentley Motors, a 102-year-old luxury automaker, has unveiled its latest hybrid model Tuesday. According to the company, this Flying Spur Hybrid model is their most eco-friendly yet.Bentley's Beyond100 plan is to create a carbon-neutral organization by 2023. The new model will be available with an entirely electric range and fully electrified vehicles by 2030. This is a huge task considering that the first all-electric vehicle from the British company will be available for purchase in 2025. Bentley has so far only this hybrid and the Bentayga SUV.Major OEMs have already made these commitments. Nissan, GM and Mercedes are all producing electric models. Bentley and other automakers will need to produce more electric vehicles if they are to achieve their goals. This is especially important if they want Tesla to catch up.According to the company's statement, the new hybrid Flying Spur powertrain combines a V6 engine of 2.9 liters with an electric motor. The engine produces 410 HP and 550 Nm torque at 5,650 rpm. The motor is between the transmission to the engine and provides up to 134 HP as well as 400 Nm torque. The Flying Spur provides an additional 95 HP when combined with the Bentayga-Hybrid.In just two and a quarter hours, the 14.1 kWh lithium-ion battery can be charged. When fully charged, the Flying Spur can travel over 435 miles. It can also go from 0-60 mph in 4.1 seconds. The Flying Spur's top speed is 177 mph.Customers can choose from three E modes to manage their battery usage when they are in the driver's seat. When the car is switched on, the default setting is EV Drive. The hybrid mode uses data from the car's intelligent navigation system to determine the usage of different E-modes or engine coasting. The car automatically switches to the most fuel-efficient mode depending on the part of the journey. For example, EV driving works best in cities, but it might be more efficient to use the V6 engine on the highway. Hold, the third E-mode is to balance power between the engine & battery. It stores electric energy for future use and helps conserve it. This mode is typically activated when the driver selects Sport mode.Flying Spurs' infotainment screen displays information such as energy flow, range, battery levels, and charging information. Bentley will provide the hybrid with all necessary charging cables. Customers also receive a Bentley-branded wallbox at no additional cost to store the at home charge unit and cables.According to Bentley, Flying Spur Hybrid can be ordered in most markets but not in the E.U. or U.K., Switzerland and Israel. It is also not available in Norway, Turkey, Ukraine, Norway and Vietnam.According to a statement by the company, Bentley also announced a partnership to Macallan, a single malt Scotch whisky producer, to create unique collaborations and further their vision for a more sustainable future. It was unclear what the partnership meant (encourage high end drinking and driving). Although Bentley didn't respond to requests for additional information immediately, one thing that was clear from the announcement was a commitment by the Macallan Estate towards a fully electric passenger car fleet by 2025. Macallan will also order two hybrid Bentleys this year for its estate.
