- Spy photographers have spotted what we believe is Bentley’s first EV testing.
- The prototype looks like a Porsche Cayenne but has UK registration plates.
- Bentley’s first EV, a ‘luxury urban SUV’ debuts in late 2026 and goes on sale in 2027.
Bentley pushed back its electrification plans last year, delaying its transformation into an EV-only brand from 2030 to 2035. But that doesn’t mean we’ll have to wait a decade to see our first zero-emissions Bentley. The British luxury brand has promised to debut its first EV in 2026, describing it as a ‘luxury urban SUV,’ and though it might not look like it, we think we’ve caught it testing.
Yes, this black SUV appears to be a prototype for the Porsche Cayenne Electric that’s due to launch next year, an EV we’ve seen several times over the past 12 months. But Porsche never registers its prototypes on British license plates and we know Porsche’s sister brand Bentley is the only VW Group company that does, so this must be a Bentley, right?
Related: Bentley’s Baby Electric SUV Is Coming In 2026, What If It Looks Like This?
Actually we can do better than guess and assume, because a quick check on the UK’s DVLA (Driver and Vehicle Licencing Agency) website pulls up a digital confirmation that a black car with the plates ‘DC24EKA’ was first registered in July 2024, and gives the manufacturer as Bentley. The fact sheet also lists the CO2 emissions output as 0g/km, though we could have guessed that from the rear shots which show a smooth lower bumper with no visible exhaust tailpipes.
Just as the Bentayga shares its platform with the Porsche Cayenne, the automaker’s first EV uses the same architecture as the upcoming Cayenne Electric. The platform is the PPE hardware already being used by the Macan Electric, Audi Q6 e-tron, and A6 e-tron, though it will be stretched for use on the Bentley and Cayenne.
But not stretched by as much as you might think. Bentley says it will be less than 5 m (197 inches) long, making it more maneuverable in cities than the brand’s other vehicles. The Bentayga, for example, measures 5.1 m (202 inches) in standard form and 5.3 m (210 inches) in stretched EWB guise.
Bentley says its EV won’t replace any of its three existing models (Bentayga, Continental, Flying Spur), but will complement them. Revealing its re-jigged Beyond100+ electrification strategy in November, CEO Frank-Steffen Walliser described the EV as the “first true Luxury Urban SUV,” claiming it will create an entirely new segment in the car market.
Powertrain details are vague at this point, but for reference, the most powerful Macan Electric – which measures 188.3 inches (4.78 m) – comes with a 100 kWh battery and a dual-motor setup generating 630 hp (639 PS / 470 kW). Bentley will unveil the EV in late 2026, but it won’t go on sale until 2027, so it could end up being a 2028MY SUV.
