Car firm trials on-demand refuelling service that brings the fuel to you

We've often heard the classic jibe about an expensive car with a powerful engine – the one that suggests you'd need to be followed around by your own private fuel truck just to keep the thing topped off. Well now, Bentley is offering buyers the chance to do just that.

As part of Bentley's Connected Car Strategy, it's introducing a trial partnership in California with private fuelling company Filld.

Filld already operates an app-based service that lets you call a compact tanker van out to your location to refill your fuel tank, saving you the hassle of going to the petrol station.

There is now, for a select group of owners, a special Bentley version of the app, and it uses the car’s on-board electronics to allow the fuelling attendant to open the filler flap without unlocking the entire car.

What’s more, in the very near future, Bentley expects the app and the car’s systems to work together entirely remotely, allowing the car to order its own fuel without you even having to think about it, either when the tank runs low or when the car is in a specific location.

Bentley's director of product and marketing, Christophe Georges, said: "Bentley ownership is about more than just the vehicle – it's the entire luxury experience.

“We are continuously investigating ways in which to offer our customers tailored, convenient, smart services that afford them the greatest luxury of all: more time. Our Connected Car strategy will continue to expand and innovate in order to further enhance the Bentley lifestyle.”

Cofounder and CTO of Filld, Christopher Aubuchon, said: "Filld and Bentley share a vision for leveraging powerful connected car technology – to one day eliminate the need for customers to refuel their cars themselves, removing inconvenience, and giving them more of their valuable time back."