Bentley has edged closer to its all-electric future after breaking ground at the location for its new Launch Quality Centre and Engineering Technical Center.
This new hub is essential to the brand's future as it prepares to launch its first-ever battery-powered electric vehicle. The facility will be based at the automaker's headquarters in Crewe, England, and will reportedly set new benchmarks in manufacturing operations.
While the automaker produces electrified vehicles like the Flying Spur Hybrid, there are no pure EVs as yet. To prepare for the arrival of the first electric Bentley in 2026, the automaker will set up a replica BEV assembly line. The plant will also feature a prototype workshop and a dedicated center that focuses on material development.
The automaker says the construction of this facility will cost £35 million (approx. $42 million) and forms part of a greater £2.5 billion ($3 billion) investment.
The Launch Quality Center will take up two floors and occupy a grand total of just over 43,000 square feet. The ground floor will be occupied by the Metrology team, the group responsible for ensuring every component that goes into forthcoming cars are of the highest standard. Their role is to ensure that each and every Bentley that rolls off the production line is worthy of the winged B badging.
The second floor will be utilized as a production proving ground, where the prototype production line will be tested along with vehicle materials.
Bentley's Engineering Technical Center will also take up two floors and will house a prototype workshop for future Bentley EVs, along with a hub for software integration. Eventually, these departments will be moved from the A1 building at Pyms Lane and soon, 300 employees will call the new building home. Bentley hopes it will be complete by the end of 2023.
"The automotive industry is in the middle of a digital revolution, with cars becoming true digital devices, and this presents a significant opportunity for Bentley as we aim for a benchmark position in next-generation, high-value manufacturing that supports our evolving Dream Factory and re-emphasizes our commitment to both our Beyond100 strategy and our long-term future at the site," said the company's Peter Bosch.
Bentley's goal is to become all-electric by 2030 and the company is working hard to achieve this. From 2026, we can expect a new EV every year, and we anticipate that the rest of the existing range will gain plug-in hybrid derivatives. The British luxury brand recently announced it plans to hire 200 new employees to accelerate its EV ambitions.