The future Bentley Mulsanne might be all-electric

MANILA: Although the current generation Bentley Mulsanne has been around since 2010, it is not due for replacement till the 2020’s. This has put the British carmaker into a line of thought about the future iterations of its flagship Mulsanne model. We have heard reports of Bentley evaluating an all-electric successor already. According to reports, the third-generation Mulsanne might go all electric.

The company explains the idea of electrification as originating from China, one of its biggest and most important markets in terms of volume and profits. The strict emission regulations that are set to come into effect in a few years’ time are forcing automobile companies to rethink their designing process for vehicles in order to attract a wider variety of audiences.

Having said that, it is not that Bentley will replace the V8 out of the Mulsanne’s huge engine bay, install an electric motor, and call it a day. The company thinks Mulsanne’s future is on the debate – specifically as to whether there will be an exact replacement for a car that has always been living in the shadow of the Rolls-Royce Phantom. The V8 is known globally for its growling exhaust note, and Bentley needs to come up with a way to make up for the loss of character associated with an electric motor.

Going the electric route makes sense if one is considering smooth, virtually silent propulsion electric motors. Not only do such systems emit very little noise, perfect for an expensive Bentley, they also provide a huge amount of torque which could easily usher around a heavy sedan at more-than-adequate speeds and by the time the Mulsanne successor is due, battery technology should be at the point where the range is no longer an issue.

Another speculation is the domination of the luxury market by electric models and new challenges such as Aston Martin’s Lagonda brand, that promise to completely reinvent the space and simultaneously attract a younger audience.

As logical as an all-electric Bentley Mulsanne successor might be, it is important to point out that the automaker has yet to even decide what exactly will replace the Mulsanne. Bentley could possibly elect to create something a little more different, perhaps more similar to the upcoming all-electric Aston Martin Lagonda.