Bentley to make its first electric car in Crewe as it invests £2.5 billion in 'sustainability'

Bentley car plant in Crewe. Credit: PA Images

Luxury carmaker Bentley has announced its first pure electric vehicle will be built at its Crewe factory in Cheshire.

The battery-powered electric vehicle (BEV) is scheduled to roll off the production line in three years, in 2025.

The Volkswagen-owned company said it is investing £2.5 billion in "sustainability" over the next 10 years, which will involve the "complete transformation" of its Crewe plant to build electric cars.

The announcement has been described as "a milestone moment for Bentley and the UK". Credit: Bentley

The firm's Beyond100 strategy to make exclusively electric vehicles and become carbon neutral by 2030 was unveiled in 2020.

The company, which dates back to 1919, has not revealed any details over its first BEV model.

Chief executive Adrian Hallmark described securing production of the vehicle in Crewe as "a milestone moment for Bentley and the UK".

It will enable a "long-term sustainable future" in the Cheshire town, he said.

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Mr Hallmark went on: "Beyond100 is the boldest plan in Bentley's illustrious history, and in the luxury segment.

"It's an ambitious and credible road map to carbon neutrality of our total business system, including the shift to 100% BEV in just eight years.

"Our aim is to become the benchmark not just for luxury cars or sustainable credentials but the entire scope of our operations."

The company is investing billions into sustainability at its Crewe plant. Credit: PA

Figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders show plug-in vehicles accounted for more than one in six new cars registered in the UK last year.

Sales of new petrol and diesel cars and vans will be banned from 2030.

Crewe & Nantwich MP Dr Kieran Mullan has welcomed the announcement, saying it is a "major boost for the UK economy".

Dr Mullan said: "Bentley is a major employer in Crewe bringing jobs and investment to the town over many years now.

"This latest news is a huge vote of confidence in the people that work there and the skills and commitment they bring to their work and they can be incredibly proud of what they deliver.

"Future proofing their jobs as we build our economy back from the pandemic and move to electric vehicles is news that I know staff and their families will welcome."