Just like Rolls-Royce, the British ultra luxury Bentley brand plans to go electric and tech-focused in the near future. Recently, the brand announced that its first EV will be revealed in 2025, and go on sale in 2026. 

The yet-to-be-named EV from the brand will ride on a common EV architecture. This architecture, called PPE (Performance Platform Electric), was developed with Porsche and Audi. Most interestingly, it will use Volkswagen Group’s software 1.2, which should enable hands-free driving. 

The platform and the software are important to getting the Bentley EV to the semi-autonomous hands-free driving realm. The PPE platform will use MobileEye Supervision technology, which outfits the car with 11 cameras, the Mobileye EyeQ5 chip and high-definition maps, to ensure the car can cruise around without the driver’s hands on the wheel. It sounds very similar to GM’s SuperCruise, or Ford’s Blue Cruise, which uses a number of cameras and HD maps to allow for hands-free driving. 

But unlike Super Cruise and Blue Cruise, which require the driver to watch the road, Bentley wants to allow its drivers to be able to look away. MobilEye says that SuperVision is capable of Level Three autonomy on freeways, which would let drivers take their hands off and eyes away from the road. At first, Bentley will only offer partial hands-free driving to a few European freeways. Eventually, the brand wants to expand the hands-free, and potentially eyes-free ability to more places. 

Aside from the platform basis, Bentley hasn’t released official performance or mechanical specifications. Bentley CEO Adrian Hallmark did say the PPE platform is capable of power outputs up to 926 horsepower, however. Whatever form it takes, Hallmark says the Bentley plans to “shape the segment,” not just compete in it with an EV offering. This EV will be the first of five EVs planned to be released from the brand over five years, starting in 2025.