Luxury carmaker Bentley will be adding five new fully-electric models to its line-up by 2030, with the first to arrive in 2025 and one per year after, as the Crewe firm seeks to accelerate its Beyond100 plan that was laid out back in 2020, further cementing its commitment to become a carbon-neutral fully-electric brand in 2030.
Speaking to UK’s Autocar, Bentley CEO Adrian Hallmark confirmed that the first of the five models will “be an incremental product to the ones we have today” in a new market segment, and won’t compete with anything they currently offer.
He added that it’ll be built on a shared Volkswagen Group platform, although all five cars won’t be based on the same architecture. “Some will be higher, some will be lower,” said Hallmark.
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Development work of the first Bentley EV model due in 2025 is already well underway. “We know the battery, the performance of the battery. The final design is weeks to a couple of months away,” said Hallmark, confirming that the first model will have more than 480 km of range.
In addition to the EV assault from 2025, Bentley will also be unveiling five new hybrid derivatives of the Bentayga and Flying Spur “to meet the diverse needs of Bentley’s discerning customers”. The company estimates that 20% of this year’s sales will be hybrid cars.
Bentley also confirmed in its announcement that the new EVs will all be built at the firm’s Crewe headquarters, as it commits GBP2.5 billion into the development of the plant with a focus on sustainability.
Called ‘Dream Factory’, Bentley says that its Crewe site will become a “digital, zero environmental impact, flexible and high-value manufacturing facility” that will help develop its next-generation products.
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Among the latest initiatives to revamp the plant include increasing the number of solar panels from 30,000 to 40,000 within the next two years, as well as researching the use of sustainable biofuel in its fleet cars, including its iconic Heritage Collection vehicles.
“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,” said Hallmark.
“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.”
