Bentley has revealed the first details of its maiden EV, confirming it will be able to gain 100 miles of range in just 6.5 minutes – a rate that will make it one of the fastest-charging EVs on the market when it arrives in 2027.
It means that the new EV – what Bentley calls a "luxury urban SUV" – could offer charging speeds of up to 350kW. The fastest-charging EV currently on sale in the UK is the Lotus Emeya, which can accommodate speeds of up to 400kW.
However, to achieve such a speed, it will need to use a capable charger. Average charger capacity in the UK is around 120kW, with just a handful able to provide faster rates.
During the announcement on Wednesday, R&D boss Matthias Rabe said the EV – of which its official name has yet to be announced – was “very comfortable like a Flying Spur and agile like a Continental GT” while also possessing “very fast” 0-100mph and 0-200mph times. He added that it will be “the best Bentley on the road”.
When it arrives, the unnamed newcomer will also be the shortest Bentley SUV on sale, at less than five metres long, and slot in underneath the Bentayga. Given its length, the EV has been configured to offer a “good turning radius”, something that will be important to its “urban”positioning, said Rabe.
Further platform details were not shared by the Crewe firm during the announcement last Wednesday, but as the EV will be based on a version of the Porsche- and Audi-developed PPE EV platform, its capabilities can be gauged by looking at the incoming Porsche Cayenne Electric.
The new Cayenne is offered exclusively with dual-motor, four-wheel-drive powertrains putting out between 400bhp in the base car and 805bhp in the top-rung variant (rising to nearly 1000bhp with launch control). A 108kWh battery is estimated to supply a range of up to 373 miles.
There has been no confirmation of how closely related the two cars will be, but the Cayenne Electric is expected to be almost exactly the same size as the Bentley EV, suggesting scope for close collaboration.
Bentley CEO Frank Walliser confirmed during the announcement – which also featured the first official image of the car under cover (below) – that the car will be launched “towards the end of 2026” before deliveries begin the following year. Walliser said this timeline will not change, even if wider EV demand falls.
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Bentley coping Hongqi now? My how the tables have turned.
Bentley diving headfirst into the EV pool, huh? A luxury urban SUV shorter than the Bentayga sounds kinda neat. The whole fast charging thing is crucial though; remember that time I was stuck at a rest stop for ages waiting for my friend's EV to charge? That was not fun. Slope Unblocked Getting stranded like that made me realize the importance of infrastructure for EVs to really take off. And the urban angle is clever!
The article says that the this Bentley will be the size of the EV Cayenne, but will slot under the Bentayga? Yet, the EV Cayenne is marginally bigger than the ICE Cayenne and the ICE is close to the same size as the Bentayga?!?! So, how can this EV Bentley SUV slot below the Bentayga in size? Unless the long wheel base Bentayga will become its standard size??