Asger Risom
The EV transition was supposed to be about efficiency. Instead, legacy automakers are building five-meter-long, 888-horsepower battering rams—using artificial V8 engine noise and recycled paper dashboards to mask the sheer thermodynamic waste of the modern luxury vehicle.
The automotive industry’s transition to electric power was originally sold to the public as a necessary shift toward efficiency. Instead, legacy luxury automakers have realized that an 800-volt battery architecture is simply a convenient excuse to build a faster tank.
Bentley’s first fully electric vehicle—the Torcal—is a five-meter-long SUV that generates 888 horsepower and accelerates to 100 km/h in 2.9 seconds. It is a textbook example of how the EV transition has been hijacked by sheer, unadulterated excess.
The skeuomorphic nightmare
Electric motors are inherently silent, delivering power through a simple, single-speed reduction gear. But legacy luxury buyers expect mechanical noise to validate their purchase. Rather than accept the reality of the new drivetrain, automakers are resorting to parlor tricks.
To hide the silence, Bentley engineered the “Dynamic Symphony.” They recorded actual drums, violas, and bass instruments to artificially mimic the rhythm of their discontinued 6.75-liter combustion V8, pumping the fake audio into the cabin based on throttle input. It is the automotive equivalent of drawing a volume knob on a touchscreen. The industry is manufacturing the future, but they are terrified of letting go of the past.
The sustainability illusion
To justify the existence of a hyper-powered electric land yacht, the marketing relies heavily on the illusion of environmentalism. Bentley proudly advertises that the Torcal’s interior features certified merino wool and a wood finish pressed from recycled paper and walnut offcuts.
This is greenwashing at its most cynical. Pushing a massive 113 kWh battery pack and dual electric motors into a sprawling, heavy SUV requires an astonishing amount of mined lithium, cobalt, and rare-earth metals. No amount of recycled paper on the dashboard offsets the thermodynamic waste of using 888 horsepower to move a single executive across a city.
The Torcal highlights the core failure of the modern automotive market. We aren’t building sustainable, efficient transportation. We are building 800-volt battering rams, wrapping them in a green halo, and charging a premium for the privilege.
