Portugal Becomes a European Manufacturer of Small, Affordable and Sustainable E-Cars
Developed by the Centre of Engineering and Product Development (CEiiA), BEN is a first-of-its-kind electric vehicle that signals a fundamental shift in the European automotive landscape, moving from traditional car manufacturing to mobility-focused vehicle building.
The concept is based on an affordable modular body paired with a disruptive out-of-car digital platform, a high-tech software layer that enables seamless connectivity between vehicles and users. This architecture supports a broad range of applications and unlocks new business models.
BEN has received European Union type-approval certification following a rigorous and extended validation process conducted at IDIADA in Spain. With this approval, BEN is now authorized for road use across Europe, said a December 2025 Globe Newswire release.
“With BEN, Portugal is now a European (mobility) manufacturer. We created BEN as Europe’s response to a new inclusive social model based on more affordable, smaller and sustainable e-cars. BEN is therefore aligned with the ‘Small and Affordable e-car’ initiative launched by the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, with the aim of creating a European car of the future,” says Helena Silva, Boad member and CTO of CEiiA.
Designed to adopt and update software anytime and anywhere, BEN integrates cutting-edge technologies that allow continuous vehicle innovation. The completion of EU type approval marks the end of the first development phase and enables the production of an initial series of vehicles at CEiiA’s BEN Garage in Matosinhos.
The next phase will focus on producing limited batches of special-edition BEN vehicles tailored to specific use cases, alongside continued product development and the expansion of the pilot production unit to a capacity of up to 200 vehicles per year.
Beginning in 2026, additional production sites will be established in Portugal and elsewhere in Europe. Discussions are underway to decentralize production by 2030, scaling output to 20,000 vehicles annually, with entry-level pricing starting at €8,000.
CEiiA is an Engineering and Product Development Center that conceives, develops, and brings to market new technologies, products, and services in support of a more sustainable society.
The organization operates by connecting cities, industry, and universities through large-scale development and industrialization programs. From Portugal, CEiiA works in high-technology sectors including mobility, aeronautics, and space. Its Mobility Unit focuses on developing new technologies, products, and services that accelerate cities’ transitions toward carbon neutrality.
The Mobility Unit sits at the core of CEiiA’s organization. It was established in 2006 with the objective of building national capability to develop and industrialize complete products within the Portuguese automotive industry. Since then, CEiiA has remained active in the mobility sector by introducing new mobility concepts through innovative products and services.
Today, CEiiA’s work spans automotive development and electric mobility. The organization is also developing new mobility services that quantify and value avoided carbon emissions from commuting, rewarding users and communities and enabling measurable contributions to urban decarbonization.
