Historically, British luxury automaker Bentley has built some of the thirstiest sedans on the planet. When moving a heavy saloon around like a sports car with a V12 engine, that's the price to be paid. Bentley's days of excessive fuel guzzling may be on their way out though- as they've just announced a three-stage environmental strategy that aims to reduce emissions and fuel usage.
Goals of the far-reaching plan include average emission reductions across the fleet in the neighborhood of at least 15 percent by 2012. A new powertrain is in the works too- and is said to be capable of delivering a 40 percent improvement in fuel economy. A hybrid perhaps?Bentley will also explore renewable fuels, and the first engines that burn them will be available next year. Officials say that the renewable fuel program reflects the company's commitment to the environment while maintaining vehicle performance.Franz-Josef Paefgen, Bentley Chief Executive, said "this is a major step in the history of Bentley, reflecting the increasing expectation from our customers around the world for performance motoring with fuel efficient engines. We will set a benchmark in our segment of the industry by making every engine capable of running on renewable fuels, reducing emissions and improving fuel efficiency throughout our fleet."
photo: Bentley