Luxury range of Bentley to be fully electric by 2030

Bentley Motors’ model line-up will be comprised of only plug-in hybrids and electric cars by 2026 and will be wholly electric by 2030, the British luxury automaker said on Thursday, as the automakers adapt to tighter emissions limits in Europe and China.

The luxury automaker, owned by Volkswagen, said it would introduce two plug-in hybrids next year as part of its “Beyond100” strategy to speed up the development of electrified models.

Last week, Volkswagen announced a return to profit for the third quarter because of the increasing demand for luxury cars.

“Within a decade, Bentley will transform from a 100-year-old luxury car company to a new, sustainable, wholly ethical role model for luxury,” Bentley CEO Adrian Hallmark said.

In the summer, the automaker said it would cut up to 1,000 jobs, or almost a quarter of its workforce, as the Crewe, northwest England-based company shifts towards an electric model line-up.

A draft document in September revealed the European Commission wants to further tighten auto emissions limits, prompting push-back from Germany’s auto industry, Europe’s biggest.