Bentley Torcal: first electric car launched at £173,000QuartzCris TolomiaThu, September 24, 2026 at 2:05 PM UTCAdd us on GoogleBentley launched its first electric car as luxury rivals scale back EV plans hero imageBentley Motors unveiled its first fully electric car, the Torcal, at an event in London on Wednesday, marking a significant shift for the 107-year-old British luxury brand. The SUV starts at £173,000 (around $230,000) and becomes Bentley's fourth model line, alongside the Continental GT, Flying Spur, and Bentayga.Bentley put £350 million ($465 million) into its Crewe facility in northwest England — where the Torcal was both designed and built — to ready it for production, according to Reuters. The car offers a range of up to 375 miles (600 km) and can charge from 10% to 80% in under 20 minutes at 400 kW. It accelerates from 0-60 mph in as little as 2.8 seconds in its more powerful S variant.The car launches in two versions: a core model producing 821 PS and an S model producing 888 PS, with peak torque of 1,350 Nm — the highest of any Bentley ever made, the company said. The 113 kWh battery carries a 10-year, 100,000-mile warranty. Rather than simulate an engine note electronically, Bentley recorded live instruments — including drums, viola, and bass guitar — to create a driving soundtrack calibrated to vehicle speed and driver input.AdvertisementAdvertisementBentley chief executive Frank-Steffen Walliser told CNBC that the Torcal "sits also from the price band at the entry level for Bentley" and that early feedback from customers around the world had been encouraging. He told Reuters that existing Bentley owners account for roughly half of inquiries while the other half are first-time buyers, and described the Torcal as a "more affordable Bentley" that "opens new markets." A launch campaign in China is planned for next year.The debut arrives as appetite for electric vehicles among some luxury carmakers has cooled. Lamborghini, a fellow Volkswagen Group brand, has put off its debut electric model until late in the decade, according to Reuters. Britain's McLaren said last week it has no plans for an EV. Walliser said wealthy buyers' acceptance of electric cars is "growing."Bentley's launch comes roughly three months after Ferrari's debut electric model, the Luce, drew a sharp negative reaction from investors and enthusiasts who criticized its styling as resembling mainstream EVs rather than the Italian brand's traditional sports cars. Ferrari stock fell as much as 7.8% on the day of that unveiling. The Luce carries a starting price of €550,000, more than three times that of the Torcal. Asked whether Bentley had drawn lessons from the Ferrari launch, Walliser told CNBC: "No, not really, because you know the car industry is very long term."Despite the rocky debut, the Luce's opening allocation of just under 500 vehicles sold out within two months, and the first production unit sold for $40 million at a charity auction over the summer, setting a record for the most expensive new car ever sold at auction.British business minister Jonathan Reynolds welcomed the spending, saying it was "proof once again that we're creating the right conditions for good growth," according to Reuters.