Hot news of the week - Bentley considers going hybrid, rules out hydrogen



Bentley is on a mission to lower fuel consumption and carbon emissions. According to Auto Express, once the firm's Continental Supersports hits the market (and, we may add, after it actually becomes flex-fuel capable), the next step in the green train may very well be hybrids.

To reach that conclusion, AE uses the process of elimination. Here's the reasoning: diesels don't historically sell well here in the United States, Bentley's largest market, so an oil-burner is out. Bentley has reportedly already ruled out hydrogen fuel cells, which aren't expected to make any sort of dent in the marketplace at all until about 2015. That leaves biofuels and hybrids, which the automaker is already rumored to be testing.

If there's any truth to the report, its possible that the next Continental for the 2011 model year will feature a flex-fuel hybrid powertrain and a relatively lightweight aluminum body to reduce carbon emissions from today's 396 g/km to less than 225 g/km. Not amazing or anything, but certainly moving in the right direction