First electric Bentley will be segment-defining ‘luxury urban SUV’
Bentley has confirmed that it will unveil its first all-electric model in 2026, claiming that it will create an entirely new segment.
The first details of the new electric Bentley were announced as the car maker revealed an extension to its Beyond100 business strategy, which aims to move the luxury brand from the ICE era to the electric one.
The imaginatively titled Beyond100+ strategy extends the planning approach from 2030 to 2035 and covers purely electric as well as plug-in hybrid models. Under Bentley’s initial Beyond100 plan, the brand was to launch its first EV in 2025 and go all-electric by 2030. However, in the face of volatile demand, it now plans to continue making PHEVs for another decade, with an ‘ambition’ to be an all-electric brand from 2035.
Its first EV will arrive in 2026 and be what Bentley calls a ‘the world’s first true luxury urban SUV’. That suggests it could be a more compact companion to the existing plug-in Bentayga, and possibly the smallest Bentley to date. There are no firm details yet, but a teaser image hints at similar lines to the larger SUV, with a long bonnet and boxy rear wheel arches.
The new car will be the first in a line-up of new electric or PHEV cars, with one released every year until 2035. It will be built at the firm’s Crewe factory, which is undergoing major redevelopment to accommodate the a new EV production facility, along with a new design centre.
Bentley chairman and CEO, Frank-Steffen Walliser, said: “Four years almost to the day that Bentley initially outlined its Beyond100 strategy, we adapt to today’s economic, market and legislative environment to initiate a major transformative phase for tomorrow.
“Beyond100+ becomes our guiding light as we extend our ambitions beyond 2030, while maintaining our aim of a decarbonised future, including offering only fully electric cars from 2035, and reinforcing our credentials as the British creator of extraordinary cars for over a century and beyond.”
The announcement extends the lifespan of models such as the Continental GT coupe, Convertible and Flying Spur models, all of which come exclusively with a plug-in V8 hybrid powertrain.
