There have been many rumors about Bentley’s first mass-production electric vehicle so far. We’ll get to the unofficial information in a minute but first, we are happy to report the Crewe-based automaker has just announced officially its first zero-emissions product will hit the assembly lines in 2025. Of course, Bentley won’t reveal the shape and size of its first battery-powered vehicle yet, though there are other interesting and important details to talk about.
The exotic car manufacturer will invest £2.5 billion or about $3.375 with the current exchange rates in its UK operations over a period of ten years. This huge number should secure the company’s first step into electrification. Bentley’s first EV will be developed and produced in the United Kingdom, in the same plant where all Bentley models are currently built and approximately 4,000 people work. All these plans are part of the marque’s new Beyond100 strategy.
Gallery: Bentley Bentayga S
“Beyond100 is the boldest plan in Bentley’s illustrious history, and in the luxury segment,” Adrian Hallmark, CEO of Bentley, commented. “It’s an ambitious and credible roadmap to carbon neutrality of our total business system, including the shift to 100 percent BEV in just eight years.”
Yes, you read that right. Bentley wants to start producing only purely electric engines from 2030 onwards. Not only that, but the automaker also aims to achieve full carbon neutrality by the end of the decade, which includes the development, production, and exploitation of all its products.
From what we’ve heard so far, Bentley’s first EV could be based on Volkswagen’s Artemis electric vehicle architecture, which is currently under development by a team led by Audi engineers. The brand’s CEO admitted last year “if you're not in SUVs, you're nowhere,” which probably hints at the shape of the future Bentley EV.
