How Bentley is preparing for the electrified era
A super-luxury brand will wind back the clock to convince the world’s wealthiest people to invest in cars.
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Bentley’s drive for the future is as bold as its vehicles.
A daring new concept car, the EXP 15, paves the road ahead for a brand that has juggled tech and tradition for decades.
Though Bentley originally planned to release its first EV in 2025, we are still waiting to see what form that car will take. Like many brands, Bentley has pushed back its electrification plan to make sure it delivers something customers are ready for.
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The company is now focusing on a new goal of offering a complete line-up of electric vehicles by 2035.
A key detail in the company’s strategy is to ensure that the Bentley Dream Factory in Crewe is fully operational for EV production by the time they start rolling out their first EV product.
Bentley has recently opened a new paint shop and an ‘Excellence Centre for Quality and Launch’, marking a significant milestone in transforming the 85-year-old site for a new era of electrification.
Bentley says the new facilities aim to set a new benchmark in next-generation, digital, flexible, and high-value manufacturing operations.
it is now shifting its focus to constructing a new logistics centre, with the completion timeline aimed for later this year.
We still don’t know much about the new full-electric vehicle being launched in 2026, except that it is a luxury urban SUV.
Bentley recently revealed the EXP 15 concept electric vehicle, which gives us the best idea yet of what the brand’s first EV might look like.
The EXP 15 draws design inspiration from the marque’s renowned ‘Blue Train’ Speed Six of 1930 and features an all-electric, all-wheel-drive powertrain that will ultimately replace its iconic V8 and W12 engines.
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With its radical three-door layout and emphasis on tactile controls, the EXP 15 offers an exciting preview of Bentley’s commitment to performance and luxury in an electric era.
Bentley’s design director Robin Page said the car is an opportunity to explore new approaches.
“It’s clear the SUVs are a growing segment, and we understand the GT market (through four generations of Continental GT), but the trickiest segment is the sedan because it’s changing,” he said.
“Some customers want a classic ‘three-box’ sedan shape, others a ‘one-box design, and others again something more elevated.
“The EXP 15 falls somewhere in between, with raised ride height and a sloped fastback-style roof line, but many familiar elements from Bentley’s two-door and four-door models.”
At the front, slim vertical LED lights frame a bold new take on Bentley’s iconic upright grille.
Bentley has chosen to retain the upright grille as a way to maintain one of its most iconic design elements. Although electric vehicles do not require a grille for cooling, Page noted that the grille would evolve into a form of “digital art.”
Behind it, it retains Bentley’s signature “endless” bonnet line, but rather than hiding a combustion engine, it conceals two luggage compartments beneath piano-hinged covers inspired by the 1930 Bentley Gurney Nutting coupe.
The top of the bonnet also debuts Bentley’s new logo.
At the back of the car, the pillars beside the rear window taper inward, giving it a sleek “boattail” shape that enhances the wide rear wheel arches.
The tailgate features two high-mounted spoilers that connect seamlessly to slim, C-shaped tail-lights. These lights frame a new design element known as the “Prestigious Shield,” which showcases the Bentley badge.
Inside, the EXP 15 features a radical three-door, three-seat layout, which takes inspiration from the one-off ‘Blue Train’ Speed Six.
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There’s a single door on the driver’s side in true coupe style, while the passenger side gets a two-door saloon set up.
How does this configuration make logical sense? Well, according to the brand, it does. Here’s why.
Bentleys are traditionally bought by people who like to drive themselves and occasionally be driven. The least important seat in the car is the front passenger’s, so it’s been replaced with a luxury pet bed or additional luggage storage space.
The dashboard is shaped like the Bentley wings and includes physical tactile switches, as customers are increasingly tired of digital buttons and prefer the responsiveness of physical controls.
Bentley has not released specific technical details about the EXP 15’s powertrain, but the confirmed all-wheel-drive electric system, likely featuring two motors, suggests that Bentley’s future EVs will uphold their legacy of both performance and luxury.
Although the EXP 15 is just a concept and won’t be arriving at any dealerships in Australia, we can expect to see features from this innovative design integrated into the luxury brand’s first electric vehicle.
Originally published as How Bentley is preparing for the electrified era
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