Luxury car maker Bentley has announced that it will develop its first fully electric car in the UK, investing £2.5bn to upgrade its Crewe headquarters.
The first Bentley EV is scheduled to roll off the production line in 2025 and will mark a significant moment in Bentley’s long history.
It is also a critical step in the company’s Beyond100 strategy – the ground-breaking plan launched in 2020 that will ensure Bentley is exclusively electric and end-to-end carbon neutral by 2030.
Key to the ambitious programme will be the Five-in-Five plan, which commits Bentley to launching a new electric model each year, from 2025, redefining the company’s credentials as the benchmark manufacturer in sustainable luxury mobility.
“Today is arguably the most important day in Bentley’s modern history, and is a testament to the hard work and skill of our colleagues in Crewe,” said Peter Bosch, Board Member for Manufacturing at Bentley Motors.
“The journey really does start now. We are already marking the pinnacle in luxury car production and have already transformed our factory to become carbon neutral, with industry-leading environmental credentials.”
The Volkswagen-owned company sold a record number of vehicles last year. In all, 14,659 cars found buyers in 2021 – a 31% increase on 2020.
The Bentayga SUV remained its best seller (accounting for 40% of Bentley’s total sales) and sold more examples in 2021 than any other previous year, thanks in part to the addition of a hybrid powertrain to the range.
