A major British car manufacturer has pledged to go all electric by breaking ground on a new project this week, showing further support for Labour’s net zero targets.
Bentley Motors has officially begun work on its new Integrated Logistics Centre, which will soon assist the hub for the carmaker’s new electric vehicle plans.
The new 11,620 sqm centre will have the ability to produce both small and large parts of electric vehicles when fully operational.
Meanwhile it will increase the onsite storage footprint of the site by 35 per cent reducing the firm’s reliance on external warehousing and transportation.
Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing[email protected]
Bentley pushed back its electric vehicle targets to 2035 after poor market response to EVs
BENTLEY
Andreas Lehe, Bentley’s Member of the Board for Manufacturing, said: “Breaking ground on the Integrated Logistics Centre marks a key milestone in Bentley’s journey to full electrification.
“The centre will transform our logistics operations by enhancing efficiency, managing customer variety, and integrating cutting-edge automation. This investment ensures that Bentley can offer an all-electric portfolio while maintaining the highest standards of quality and sustainability.”
The site hopes to be fully operational by next year and will play a vital role in Bentley’s transition to becoming all electric by 2035, a target which was pushed back due to poor market reception.
Last year, the brand revealed it would extend its electric car targets by five years to allow more time for the UK and other nations to increase interest in electric vehicles, with Walliser admitting that there was “not a lot of demand” currently.
Bentley also confirmed that its first fully electric car, the Luxury Urban SUV, will be revealed in 2026, with very few details about the model made available.
This model, developed at the company’s headquarters in Crewe, will be the first of what is said to be many hybrid and electric models to be launched every year over the next decade by the car brand.
Bentley has already been making headway in the luxury hybrid car sector, with the brand hoping to have more PHEV models beyond 2030, pushing to 2035.
Dr. Frank-Steffen Walliser, Chairman and CEO of Bentley Motors, shared: “Four years almost to the day that Bentley initially outlined its Beyond100 strategy, we adapt to today’s economic, market and legislative environment to initiate a major transformative phase for tomorrow.
The new Bentley hub is expected to open in 2026
BENTLEY
“Beyond100+ becomes our guiding light as we extend our ambitions beyond 2030, while maintaining our aim of a decarbonised future, including offering only fully electric cars from 2035, and reinforcing our credentials as the British creator of extraordinary cars for over a century and beyond.”
The commitment to electric vehicles comes at the same time the UK looks to ramp up its production of EVs to meet its ambitious Zero Emission Vehicle mandate.
Under the plans, manufacturers need to have at least 28 per cent of new car sales come from zero emission vehicles, before moving to 100 per cent in 2035.
According to data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, last year Bentley sold 740 vehicles, a 36 per cent drop compared to the same period in 2023.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
Bentley will introduce its first electric car in 2026 BENTLEYBentley added: “The facility has been designed with efficiency and flexibility in mind, to ensure seamless logistics operations, with a direct connectivity to production operations. Inside, a three-storey mezzanine will house: a visitor room, canteen, offices, training rooms, plant equipment and a viewing platform for operational oversight.”