The UK-based carmaker, which is now a subsidiary of Volkswagen (VW), said that its first electric vehicles are expected to roll off production lines in about three years’ time.
The firm said its approach will make Bentley exclusively electric and end-to-end carbon neutral by 2030, a full 20 years ahead of the same ambition from its parent company VW. In fiscal year 2019, Bentley manufactured just 12,430 vehicles compared to 11 million from VW.
Bentley will also commit £2.5bn to sustainability initiatives over the next decade.
The announcement helps secure Bentley’s first step into electrification at the production plant, where around 4,000 people are employed and all Bentley models are built.
The investment programme will result in a complete transformation of Bentley’s entire product portfolio as it also attempts to modernise its production facility into one that leans heavily on digital technology for advanced manufacturing alongside a low environmental...