Bentley Motors announces a three-year research study that promises to transform electric vehicle powertrains, utilising a fully integrated, free from rare-earth magnet e-axle that supports electric vehicle architectures. This reinforces Bentley's ambition to lead sustainable luxury mobility and introduce the first fully electric Bentley by 2026.

The study, titled OCTOPUS (Optimised Components, Test and simulatiOn, toolkits for Powertrains which integrate Ultra high-speed motor Solutions) follows an initial 18-month investigation that delivered a technological breakthrough in electric drive systems for high-performance vehicles.

Building on the U.K.'s leading electronics research, the resulting electric drive system exceeded the latest permanent magnet motor performance while simultaneously removing the need for both rare-earth magnets and copper windings, delivering a package both cost effective and recyclable at its end of life.

OCTOPUS will take this leading-edge motor, power electronics and packaging transmission design, adding next generation materials, manufacturing processes, simulation and test cycles to deliver a full e-axle powertrain with unique levels of integration and revolutionary performance characteristics suitable for real world application by 2026.