The luxury VW brand Bentley has laid the foundation stone for its new assembly line for battery-electric cars at its headquarters in Crewe, UK. However, the launch of Bentley’s first electric car has been delayed; it is now not due to appear until 2027. It will be a luxury SUV.
As part of the presentation of its annual figures, Bentley, which is part of the Progressive brand group led by Audi within the VW Group, also revealed some details about its electric car plans. As has been known since November, Bentley now intends to become an all-electric brand by 2035, whereas at the end of 2020, the company had set 2030 as its target.
However, preparations for the introduction of electric cars are now in full swing at Bentley. The company’s oldest building in Pyms Lane in Crewe, known as A1, is now being converted for the assembly of electric cars. “We are making unprecedented levels of investment at Bentley – not only to fundamentally renew our product cycle, but also to transform an 85-year-old site for the new age of electrification. These key foundations will ensure our long-term sustainability and success,” said Dr Frank-Steffen Walliser, Chairman and CEO of Bentley Motors.
As has been known for some time, the site is to become a ‘Dream Factory’, where a new paint shop and a design centre will be built in addition to the new assembly line for electric cars. Bentley is investing a total of £2.5 billion in the site.
Bentley has now reaffirmed its intention to launch a new hybrid or electric model on the market every year until 2035. However, while it was still stated at the presentation of the ‘Beyond100+’ corporate strategy in November 2024 that Bentley’s first battery-electric vehicle would be launched in 2026, the current press release now states that the market launch is planned for 2027. The model is said to be the “world’s first true luxury SUV for the city,” as announced in November. The electric vehicle will be designed, developed and produced at the company’s headquarters in Crewe – and will be based on the Platform Premium Electric (PPE), which was jointly developed by Audi and Porsche.
The news about Bentley’s electric future was communicated as part of the presentation of the latest business figures: Sales fell by 10 per cent to 2.648 billion euros in 2024, while operating profit fell by 37 per cent to 373 million euros. Although the return on sales of 14.1 per cent was “one of the best in the entire automotive industry,” it was well below the 20.1 per cent of 2023. In other words, Bentley now has a lot of work to do to build on its previous successes.
audi-mediacenter.com (in German)
