Bentley has confirmed its first electric car will remain fully electric when it arrives in late 2026. The Luxury Urban EV won’t be redesigned with a traditional engine, despite shifting market conditions.
The announcement comes as other luxury brands retreat from pure electric powertrains. Lotus recently announced it’s re-engineering its Eletre SUV as a plug-in hybrid, creating the Eletre X with 745 miles of range. Lamborghini is repositioning its Lanzador EV as a plug-in hybrid as well.
But Bentley says there’s a technical reason for sticking with electricity.
The company insists reworking the Luxury Urban EV’s platform isn’t feasible. The car uses Porsche and Audi’s PPE architecture, which wasn’t designed to accommodate internal combustion engines.
Frank-Steffen Walliser, Bentley’s CEO, explained there’s also a strategic consideration. Adding a plug-in hybrid powertrain would create overlap with future Bentayga variants – something that goes against the firm’s product planning.
New Customer Base
Bentley confirmed it’s targeting a different demographic with the unnamed EV.
Details about the car remain scarce beyond the launch timeline. The electric platform suggests it’ll likely share components with the Porsche Cayenne Electric – a setup that delivers up to 1,140 horsepower and 398 miles of range from a 113kWh battery pack.
Design inspiration comes from last year’s EXP 15 concept car. That show vehicle featured an illuminated grille that Bentley called “digital art” and a cabin mixing wood, metal, silk and wool with both digital screens and physical controls.
The company hasn’t said whether declining luxury EV sales will affect its broader electrification timeline.
Bentley’s 100+ strategy called for launching a new EV or plug-in hybrid each year, with the entire lineup going electric by 2035. Current electrified Bentley models include hybrid versions of the Bentayga, Flying Spur, Continental GT, and Continental GT Convertible.
The Luxury Urban EV represents Bentley’s first step into pure electric territory – and the company’s betting that luxury buyers will be ready for it by 2026.
