Will this be the first electric Bentley?
Porsche already has two electric models in its range in the form of the Macan and Taycan. Bentley, which is positioned even higher in the Volkswagen Group’s portfolio, does not yet have any EVs. But it’s coming. Next year, to be precise, and this Bentley EXP gives a broad idea of what you can expect from it.
Initially, Bentley indicated that it would launch its first electric model in 2025. That’s not going to happen. At the end of last year, it was announced that Bentley will present its first fully electric model in 2026 and launch it a year later. Bentley described its first electric car as a Luxury Urban SUV. That sounds a bit vague, and it is. With a brand new study model called Bentley EXP 15, the English are hinting in a way at what you can expect from the first electric Bentley.
Bentley EXP 15
According to Bentley, the EXP is a design study that broadly reveals what you can expect from the brand in the future. That doesn’t directly mean that the more than five-meter-long electric show car already reveals exactly what Bentley’s first EV will be, but you can count on a lot of design elements returning on that first electric Bentley.
Bentley naturally has a rich history to draw from, and so it drew inspiration for the EXP 15 from a car from long ago. In this case, it is the Bentley Speed Six Gurney Nutting Sportsman Coupé from 1930 – we also had to look it up. Among other things, the seemingly endless hood and the relatively far back passenger compartment of the car refer to that almost antique Bentley with a very long name. The long vertical LED stripes on either side of the front are the headlights. That is also something new in Bentley-land.
The Bentley EXP 15 is somewhat similar to a futuristic Continental GT that has been placed somewhat high on its legs. Striking design elements are of course the imposing and in this case mainly closed and illuminated grille with the new Bentley logo in it. At the rear we see a curved roof spoiler, a fairly flat-lying rear window and taillights that follow the contours of the butt and are almost connected to each other at both the bottom and top.
Multiple special
At least as striking is the layout of the car. It is not a two-, four- or five-seater, but a three-seater. That also explains why the EXP 15 has only three doors. Two on the left, one on the right. A touch of Hyundai Veloster, although Bentley will never admit that. Behind the driver’s seat you will find two seats separated by a middle tunnel that runs all the way to the rear. The copy that is not directly behind the driver’s seat is slidable in length. Bentley speaks of a flexible interior in which you can easily take your luggage and/or your dog with you. Striking: in the center tunnel that extends all the way to the tailgate, you will find, among other things, a wine cooler, glasses and a sliding lamp. Cozy.
Another reference to the past: the EXP 15 does not have a traditional hood. However, the futuristic Bentley has two storage spaces in the nose, each accessible via a flap in the hood. A modern interpretation of the engine hoods of yesteryear that can be opened on the left and right.
Of course, the dashboard is also something special. The overall shape of the cockpit should resemble the wings of the Bentley logo. That sounds far-fetched, but we see what Bentley means. The whole is of course filled with the finest displays that Bentley had on the shelves. Central to the dashboard is what Bentley calls its mechanical wonder: a round ornament that can display, among other things, the direction of travel and the state of charge (SoC) of the battery.
Technique
Bentley says almost nothing about the powertrain, although the brand indicates that Bentley imagines the EXP 15 with four-wheel drive, a long range and a high charging capacity. We would say that too. What we actually know for the time being is what the Bentley EXP 15 looks like. Let’s take a look at that for now. Beautiful or not, it contains special elements in any case.