Bentley takes its first crack at EVs in 2026

Bentley's transition to an all-electric lineup by 2030 is on pace, starting with its first full electric vehicle with a U.S. arrival in early 2026. It is also hybridizing its lineup in the interim.

The English luxury brand will roll out a number of special editions and limited runs to bid farewell to its legacy internal combustion powertrains, including its W-12. Bentley's first EV will be built on Volkswagen Group's Premium Platform Electric, or PPE, while a second EV, due in 2027, will be built on the group's Scalable Systems Platform, or SSP.

EV SUV: Bentley's first EV is predicted to be an SUV when it arrives in the U.S. in early 2026. It is expected to live alongside the Bentayga initially in the lineup before fully replacing the model by 2030. According to executives, the luxury EV will boast a range in excess of 300 miles.

EV sedan: The luxury brand's second fully electric vehicle is expected to be a sedan built on Volkswagen Group's SSP platform. But it isn't expected to arrive until early 2027.

Bentayga: The Bentayga received an extended-wheelbase version in 2022 to make it more competitive in certain portions of the luxury SUV segment.

It will continue to offer a variety of powertrains and trims while it awaits its transition to a fully electric powertrain and will be due for a freshening in 2025.

Flying Spur: Bentley introduced a Flying Spur hybrid in 2021, and a freshen of the luxury sedan should happen in the second half of 2024, given the brand's traditional product cadence.

The luxury brand is expected to offer some limited-edition runs of its halo sedan while it awaits a transition to a fully electric powertrain in the latter half of the decade.

Continental GT: The two-door is expected to undergo a reengineering in early 2024 to incorporate a plug-in hybrid powertrain.

The brand is expected to offer a number of limited-edition one- offs, likely from in-house team Mulliner, after the reengineering.