By Nathalie Voit
Bentley Motors is committing approximately $3.4 billion over the next 10 years to become an exclusively electric vehicle brand by 2030, the British luxury carmaker revealed in a company announcement on Jan. 26.
The multi-billion-dollar investment will be used to fund the ‘Bentley Dream Factory’ in the heart of the historic Crewe campus in England, the company’s headquarters and only manufacturing base worldwide.
The 4000-manned Crewe campus production plant will be the site of the next “industry-leading, low-energy impact greenfield facility,” the Volkswagen-owned automaker said on Wednesday.
The company’s first battery-powered electric vehicle (BEV) is scheduled to roll off the production line in 2025. The first BEV will be followed by the launch of one new electric model every year from 2025, totaling five new EVs by 2030, the company said in a release.
The sustainability investment will be part of Bentley’s broader “Beyond 100” strategy. The “Beyond 100” strategy is the automaker’s ambitious plan to ensure the company goes fully electric and end-to-end carbon neutral by the end of the decade.
“Beyond100 is the boldest plan in Bentley’s illustrious history and in the luxury segment. It’s an ambitious and credible roadmap to carbon neutrality of our total business system, including the shift to 100 per cent BEV in just eight years,” said Chairman and CEO of Bentley Motors Adrian Hallmark.
“Our aim is to become the benchmark not just for luxury cars or sustainable credentials but the entire scope of our operations. Securing production of our first BEV in Crewe is a milestone moment for Bentley, and the UK, as we plan for a long-term sustainable future in Crewe,” he added.
However, unlike other major automakers, the company will lean on plug-in hybrids in its transition to carbon neutrality. The famed luxury carmaker said that a fully electric portfolio will not be available until 2030.
Although news of the company’s plans to jump on the EV trend was already known since November 2020, this is the first time the 102-year-old carmaker disclosed its investment amount, according to CNBC.
