Britain's automotive sector is receiving an additional £350m of investment as Bentley has announced plans to build its first fully electric vehicle at its Crewe headquarters, marking the third significant boost in a week for UK carmaking.
The announcement takes the total amount of new investment into the UK's automotive sector over the past week to £1.02bn, following McLaren and Nissan securing an extra £500m and £170m respectively.
Government and business reaction
"Bentley's announcement is the third win in just seven days for our world-class automotive industry, which truly shows the confidence that businesses have in Britain," business secretary Jonathon Reynolds said.
Bentley's new fully electric car – the Torcal – will be designed, engineered and manufactured in Britain, utilising a network of British suppliers including a Somerset-based wool company for the interior. It will sustain around 4,000 existing jobs in Crewe, making it one of the largest employers in the region.
Bentley's statement on the Torcal
"The Torcal is a Bentley first and foremost, but it is also a powerful statement about our confidence in Britain as a centre of design, engineering and manufacturing excellence," Dr Frank-Steffan Walliser, chairman and chief executive of Bentley Motors, said.
Dr Walliser said the launch of the new all-electronic vehicle "demonstrates how investment, innovation and craftsmanship can come together to create a world-leading luxury product".
Investment in Crewe facility
As part of its investment, Bentley has overhauled its Crewe facility, which has served as the marque's headquarters for 80 years. The automotive giant has channelled funds into new manufacturing, design and logistics capabilities at the Crewe site, alongside workforce training and skills development.
This comes as fellow vehicle manufacturing giant Jaguar Land Rover confirmed plans at the start of the month for sweeping job cuts as it seeks to strip around £1.7bn from its cost base over the next two years. The Midlands-based carmaker said it reached the decision as it needed to "simplify" its structure while pushing forward with the next phase of its strategy, informing staff that "salaried and management team members" will be offered voluntary redundancy as part of the proposals.
