Using only energy from waste straw and the power of the planet, an engineering prototype Flying Spur Hybrid has completed a dramatic test as part of the car’s sign off and Bentley’s development of renewable fuels. The Azure Purple Flying Spur Hybrid covered the 733 km (455 miles) required to drive across Iceland in a single stint and entirely on renewable power, through a combination of 100 per cent second generation biofuel and geothermally-sourced electricity available from the Icelandic power grid.
The journey is validation both of the grand touring range of Bentley’s new Hybrid – the second to be launched following the Bentayga Hybrid – and of Bentley’s research into biofuels that can be used without engine modification. The fuel used conforms to the same EN228 standard as ordinary pump gasoline, yet is created entirely from waste biomass (e.g. straw) at no cost to food production or the natural ecosystem. The combination of this fuel and the Flying Spur Hybrid’s intelligent electrified powertrain meant an overall reduction of 45 per cent in CO2 emissions on a well-to-wheels basis over the course of the adventure.
The Flying Spur Hybrid represents Bentley’s next step on a journey to becoming the world’s most sustainable luxury mobility company, as laid out by the brand’s Beyond100 strategy. Market introductions across the world begin in 2022. This will see all models in the range offered with a hybrid powertrain by 2024, ahead of the company’s first full BEV by 2025.
Bentley’s Member of the Board for Engineering, Matthias Rabe, said: “With the launch of the Flying Spur Hybrid we now have a hybrid range at Bentley, and with this challenge we’ve proved the real benefit of a hybrid – the ability to have an unimpeded grand touring reach of more than 450 miles, while still having usable electric-only range for urban environments. It’s truly the best of both worlds, especially when the use of innovative second generation biofuel means a huge drop in CO2 emissions. We’ll continue working with such fuels in the coming months as part of our development process, with the end goal of a customer-facing solution.”
