Bentley’s EXP 15 Gives Us a Wild Glimpse Into Its All-Electric Future : Automotive Addicts

Automotive

Bentley isn’t typically a brand associated with radical design experiments, but the new EXP 15 concept proves that the British luxury automaker is fully ready to challenge expectations as it prepares to launch its first fully electric vehicle next year. While it may just be a design study for now, the EXP 15 provides a striking preview of what the brand’s electrified future could look like — and it’s unlike anything we’ve seen from Crewe before.

The most immediate thing you’ll notice is the EXP 15’s asymmetrical door setup. It has two doors on the left side and only one on the right, which hints at its unique interior layout. This isn’t your standard four- or five-seat luxury sedan. Instead, it’s a three-seater, with a position directly behind the driver on the right and another seat offset on the left rear. It’s Bentley’s interpretation of luxury mobility, unconstrained by convention, and unapologetically different.

If it all sounds a bit eccentric, that’s by design. Bentley pulled inspiration from its own past, most notably the 1930 Speed Six known as the “Blue Train,” a car made famous when Bentley chairman Woolf Barnato raced and beat a French express train across the continent. That same spirit of boldness permeates the EXP 15, which Bentley refers to as a “sedan,” though its profile is much more in line with the sleek lines of a Continental GT coupe.

There are nods to traditional British luxury throughout, but they’re blended with forward-thinking EV design cues. Because electric cars don’t need traditional engine cooling, Bentley’s designers used the grille area as a canvas, adding a decorative illuminated element that head designer Robin Page describes as a piece of “digital art.” It gives the EXP 15 a distinctive face while still keeping with Bentley’s unmistakable DNA. Up front, the absence of a combustion engine allowed designers to repurpose the elongated hood, which now houses dual storage compartments that open from the center.

The rear of the car gets just as much attention. There’s a tailgate that folds down to reveal built-in picnic seating, a thoughtful and charming touch that speaks to Bentley’s quintessentially British flair. It’s easy to imagine owners setting up trackside at a polo match or Goodwood Revival with their EXP 15 turned into a portable lounge.

Inside, the cabin balances modern tech with heritage craftsmanship. Yes, there are screens — it is an EV, after all — but Bentley’s designers have resisted the urge to go fully digital. Physical climate controls and classic switchgear remain in place, while materials come from a 250-year-old English textile maker, grounding the futuristic vehicle in tangible tradition.

Bentley says the EXP 15 straddles a middle ground between its current lineup of the Continental GT, the Flying Spur, and the Bentayga. According to Robin Page, the sedan segment is currently the most difficult to define. Some customers still prefer the classic three-box shape, while others are gravitating toward more monolithic or elevated silhouettes. The EXP 15 explores all of those directions at once, serving as both a design experiment and a conversation starter.

Even with its unconventional form and electric heart, the EXP 15 still feels unmistakably Bentley. There’s an undeniable heft and presence to its proportions, and the opulence of the materials and finishes makes it clear that this car, concept or not, aims to carry forward the brand’s legacy. It might look unlike any Bentley we’ve seen before, but in spirit, it’s right in line with the brand’s bold history.

From a company once known for building what Ettore Bugatti mockingly called the “fastest lorries in the world,” the EXP 15 shows that Bentley is more than ready to carry its reputation for grand touring luxury into a new, electrified era. Whether or not the production version closely resembles this concept, one thing is certain — the future of Bentley will be anything but boring.

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