Bentley Flying Spur Hybrid calculates best performance

WHEN the rich and the famous are prepared to go electric then you can probably tell that the great electric car revolution has finally taken off.

A recent Bentley-led event held in California saw a fleet of nine Bentley Flying Spur Hybrids cover 10,500 miles in six days.

The outstanding thing about this event was that 3,000 miles of that trip were completed on electric power alone.

Bentley says this is the equivalent to driving across the United States from coast to coast.

And just to put this into perspective, compared to the magnificent Bentley Flying Spur V8, each hybrid car saved three gallons of fuel every day.

Now it may be that everyday drivers of more modest cars do not want to hear about the achievements of cars that can cost as much as a house. But as with high fashion that percolates its way down from the runways of Paris and Milan to the high street, expensive EVs (electric vehicles) such as the Bentley Hybrid could set a trend for the rest of us.

As I reported recently, around 300,000 battery-powered electric vehicles (BEVs) will be bought in 2022, equivalent to about 15 per cent of the car market, transport research consultancy New AutoMotive has estimated.

Almost 100 media writers and industry experts had the opportunity to experience the new Flying Spur Hybrid in sunny California — and drove miles on battery power alone.

From Beverly Hills, through the beautiful scenery of the Ojai mountains to the splendour of Santa Barbara, the fleet of Flying Spur Hybrids amassed data — downloaded every day from the car’s built-in technology — that showed that 30 per cent of their usage was with the engine off.

Bentley organised the event to cover a varied 194-mile route of 50 per cent highway, 44 per cent country roads and six per cent urban driving.

The Flying Spur Hybrid’s intelligent navigation system calculated the best possible use of battery energy for maximum efficiency, deliberately retaining charge for when it would be needed most — in urban environments, on slower roads and in traffic. Bentley says that the event was inspired by customers’ demands for “greener” cars. In a recent study, “70 per cent of customers identified the top purchase reason of a hybrid was due to environmental friendliness, with 98 per cent driving daily in EV mode and 83 per cent also charging their vehicle daily”.

But customers were certainly not yet done with the ICE (internal combustion engine). Bentley said customers still wanted the “ability of grand touring”.

This translates that they would be happy with electric power during the week but demanded the security of an internal combustion powertrain for the weekend. This made a hybrid the perfect solution.

The uptake of Bentley’s new hybrid models is already reflected in last year’s sales figures, with one in every five Bentleys sold being a hybrid.

In November 2021, an engineering prototype Flying Spur Hybrid travelled more than 450 miles across Iceland on a single tank of biofuel and battery power.

Bentley says this shows “genuine real world grand touring ability” whilst achieving an 80 per cent CO2 reduction.

This combination of extensive range with the added benefit of electrified driving in the city, and the ability to add another 400+ miles of range in a matter of minutes by refuelling, is the key factor behind Bentley’s commitment to hybrids as part of its “journey to full electrification”.

And Bentley seeks to allay fears that electrification means a compromise on luxury or performance.

With its blend between the internal combustion engine and electric motor, the Flying Spur Hybrid offers “refined serenity” regardless of driving mode or style.

The new powertrain combines a 2.9-litre V6 petrol engine with an electric motor, delivering 536 bhp (544 PS) — an additional 95 bhp in comparison to the Bentley Bentayga Hybrid SUV.

The advanced electronic motor is located between the transmission and the engine and provides up to 134 bhp (136 PS). The permanent magnet synchronous motor delivers full torque instantly for silent acceleration from a standing start.

The E-motor is powered by a 18.9 kWh lithium ion battery and can be charged to 100 per cent in as little as two and a half hours (region specific).

The power electronics convert the energy stored from the high voltage battery to supply the E-Motor or supplement the existing 12v vehicle electrical infrastructure.

In EV mode, the Flying Spur Hybrid offers occupants up to 50 per cent lower cabin noise overall compared to a combustion engine, thus providing the level of isolation, luxury and serenity to watch the world go by.