Bentley has disclosed details of the extensive testing programme behind its first electric vehicle, the Torcal, including battery impact assessments and a two-hour fire-resistance requirement.
The British luxury carmaker said its development prototypes and pre-series vehicles collectively covered more than one million kilometres in conditions ranging from -38°C in Sweden to above 40°C in desert environments.
Testing also took place at Pikes Peak in Colorado, at altitudes exceeding 4,200 metres.
The Torcal, unveiled in September, uses a 113kWh battery weighing about 625kg, with an energy density exceeding 180Wh/kg.
A composite shield beneath the battery protects its cells and associated components against impacts from road debris.
Bentley’s validation programme required the battery to withstand a thermal incident without fire propagation or explosion for at least two hours.
The battery enclosure was also subjected to impact testing involving a 30mm steel projectile weighing approximately 111g, fired at speeds exceeding 160kph.
Other assessments include salt-spray exposure to evaluate corrosion resistance and environmental durability testing.
Beyond battery safety, Bentley has detailed how it developed the Torcal’s electrical and software systems.
Three specialist teams worked on electrical architecture, software integration and validation, with updated software integration levels developed every six weeks.
Each update underwent laboratory and real-world testing before progressing to the next development stage.
Bentley also used Extended Reality (XR) technology to evaluate cabin ergonomics and vehicle architecture before physical components were produced.
Engineers created a digital cabin with adjustable seating positions and interactive controls, allowing them to identify potential design problems earlier.
During physical validation, laser scanning was used to compare manufactured components against computer-aided design data, while simulated assembly exercises helped identify production and fitment issues.
