Bentley is reportedly sticking to its electric vehicle plans and is readying its first production EV for a debut in 2026. The Flying B’s chief executive officer, Frank-Steffen Walliser, told CAR Magazine to expect the model to debut that year with sales commencing later in 2027.
- Founded
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January 18, 1919
- Founder
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H. M. Bentley and W. O. Bentley
- Headquarters
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Crewe, England
- Current CEO
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Adrian Hallmark
- Status
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Active
Just a few years ago, Bentley hopped on the all-electric initiative bandwagon, with a goal to fully electrify its lineup by 2035. That’s also the same year Europe mandated its ban on the sale of internal combustion-powered vehicles. But while other automakers are dialing back their EV initiatives, for a variety of reasons, Bentley ultimately remains committed to its plans.
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2026 Electric Bentley: Everything We Know So Far
Bentley plans to add EVs in its lineup starting 2025, and here’s why it hitting the roads soon will be so significant.
Bentley’s First EV Will Be An SUV
Since Bentley announced its plans to shift towards an all-electric lineup, which it calls its “Beyond100+” strategy, speculation and rumors began swirling regarding what the first EV would be. But as time marched on, more details surfaced with Bentley itself confirming its first electric vehicle would be an SUV.
Bentley’s already embraced plug-in hybrid technology with the Bentayga and the latest Flying Spur sedan. Today, its engineering team is still in the process of researching and developing further electrification advancements.
“The development work continues,” Walliser told the media during a recent sales reporting conference call. “With all the investment behind it, this is a transition year – we’ve laid out everything for around the product. More news about that will come by the end of 2025. We are continuing our ambitious Beyond100+ strategy to stay self-funded and continue on the path to be exclusively electric by 2035.”
Walliser did acknowledge the recent “EV slowdown,” where market demand showed lukewarm interest in electric vehicles over the past several years. Because this “slowdown” essentially compromised many automakers’ investments in EVs by resulting in lower-than-expected return on investment, many shifted back towards developing and improving internal combustion and gas-electric hybrid tech. Recent regulatory rollbacks of electric vehicle initiatives by the Trump Administration in the U.S. also played a role in this shift back to ICE-based tech.
“Our strategy already considers a slow-down in electrification,” Walliser continued in his statement. “Of course, we are already having a close look at the markets, and I would say there is already a deep acceptance of electric cars. Maybe Bentley’s plans were a bit too bullish in the beginning, but now we are closer. Customers are gaining more experience in them, too.”
To adapt to this slowdown, Walliser said his team will continue developing and embracing plug-in hybrid and EV tech, with hopes to launch one model with either propulsion system per year from now until that 2035 date.
The New Bentley EV SUV Will Be Smaller Than The Bentayga
Walliser didn’t disclose any real specifics about this supposed new EV SUV, in classic future product jargon. But he did describe it as being smaller than Bentley’s current and only SUV offering, the Bentayga. Given the Bentayga is Bentley’s only high rider, it’s easy to assume this supposed new electric SUV was going to be a variant of that model. However, that doesn’t seem to be the case and the new SUV won’t be replacing any current models, instead joining the lineup as an addition.
“It will be a little bit more compact, for a Bentley, under five meters [just under 16.5 feet long] and easier to drive in urban areas,” Walliser briefly described. “It will be super versatile, and you will be able to use it for both long range and for the city. We want to attract new customers, there is not a lot of electric demand among today’s Bentley customers, and we think this vehicle will help us do this. Optimizing travel time is not just about range. We will have incredible fast charging and the range will fit all the needs of our customers.”
In comparison, a short-wheelbase Bentayga measures in at around 16.7 feet in length, while a Porsche Macan sits at 15.4 feet long.
The new Bentley electric SUV is expected to utilize a more advanced version of Volkswagen Group’s latest Premium Platform Electric, which currently underpins the new Porsche Macan EV and several new Audi EV models on the horizon.
