Bentley breaks ground on new paint shop as part of key preparations for electric future

• New, state-of-the-art Paint Shop begins construction in Crewe
• Latest site investment integral to the brand’s preparations for future Battery-Powered Electric Vehicle (BEV) production
• Ground-breaking ceremony conducted by Andreas Lehe, Board Member for Manufacturing and Jan-Henrik Lafrentz, Board Member for Finance and IT 
• The transformation to a ‘Dream Factory’, will help Bentley achieve its aim of becoming the world’s most sustainable luxury automotive manufacturer

(Crewe, 30 April 2024) Bentley Motors has taken the next step on its journey to become fully electric and the world’s most sustainable luxury automotive manufacturer with a ground-breaking ceremony for a new Paint Shop in Crewe. This investment transforms an 85 year old site for a new age of electrification and confirms Bentley’s commitment to Crewe, England.

The new facility at Bentley’s carbon neutral headquarters will be integral to the brand’s preparations for future Battery-Powered Electric Vehicle production and to set a new benchmark in next generation, digital, flexible and high-value manufacturing operations.

To mark the occasion, Andreas Lehe, Bentley’s Board Member for Manufacturing, and Jan-Henrik Lafrentz, Bentley’s Board Member for Finance and IT, officially started construction by breaking ground.

The new 12,460 sqm. Paint Shop will be completed in 2025 and will offer an expanded paint colour choice of near 100 individual colours to customers, uniquely celebrated as part of the exterior building design. Additionally, there will be a four storey office building which in total will be home to more than 370 Bentley colleagues.

The new building forms part of a £2.5 billion investment programme in future products and at the Pyms Lane factory in Crewe, where all Bentley models are handcrafted.

Commenting on the developments, Andreas Lehe, said:

“Breaking ground on this new state-of-the-art building is a milestone moment and supports our aim for a benchmark position in new innovative technologies, skills and facilities to enable a truly digital, highly-flexible benchmark for luxury car manufacturing.    

“While also modernising our site, it is a clear demonstration of our ambition and long-term commitment to Crewe as we transform Bentley into the leader of sustainable luxury mobility.”     

Bentley’s industry-leading Beyond100 strategy will see the company reinvent its entire product range to support an electrified future, while achieving end-to-end carbon neutral status by 2030. The company’s digital, zero environmental impact, manufacturing facility will introduce a go-to-zero approach on the environmental impacts of manufacturing and lead the luxury car industry in next generation digital applications.

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