Bentley plans to launch five new electric models each year from 2025.
All of the new models are set to be designed and developed at the luxury carmaker’s facility in Crewe. The site in England’s west midlands is set to receive a £2.5 billion investment from Bentley to modernise the plant and ensure the jobs of the 4,000 employees at the plant.
Bentley has already launched its first hybrid model, the £160,000 Flying Spur Hybrid, but it also plans to release five further derivatives and the Bentayga PHEV. The company anticipates that more than 20% of the sales this year will be hybrids.
“Simultaneously accelerating our Beyond100 strategy and securing BEV production at Crewe, alongside a £2.5 billion investment, makes this a major landmark in Bentley’s 102-year history. It is a shining light for the Bentley family, our suppliers and partners, as well as the automotive industry and UK manufacturing as a whole,” says Adrian Hallmark, Chairman and CEO of Bentley Motors.
“This latest announcement regarding Bentley’s Beyond100 plan confirms the initiation of a major transformative phase in the company’s long and illustrious history. The world is changing and we need to play our part in neutralising our environmental impact. That means delivering on our aim to be end-to-end carbon neutral by 2030, and reaffirming our role as the leader in sustainable luxury mobility.”
The company’s Crewe plant is set to become a “Dream Factory – a digital, zero environmental impact, flexible and high-value manufacturing facility” thanks to the multibillion-pound investment. Bentley aims to reduce water consumption, waste to landfill and other environmental impacts for every vehicle built in Crewe to an absolute minimum until 2030.
The site is now certified as carbon-neutral and the company is aiming to increase the number of solar panels from 30,000 to 40,000 in the next two years.
Bentley is also examining using sustainable biofuels in its fleet cars, including in its Heritage Collection. Bentley’s partners are also “being encouraged” to meet the company’s carbon neutrality commitment by meeting “minimum sustainability standards.” This will even extend to to Bentley’s global retailer network, each aiming for carbon neutrality by 2025 but hopefully even sooner.
