Bentley has completed a £350 million investment programme at its Crewe manufacturing site as the Government says more than £1 billion of automotive investment has been announced in the UK in the space of seven days.
The investment covers new manufacturing, design and logistics facilities at Bentley’s Cheshire headquarters, alongside workforce training, and will support production of the luxury carmaker’s first fully electric vehicle.
The Government said around 4,000 existing jobs are supported at the Crewe site.
Bentley electric car to be built in Britain
Bentley’s first fully electric model, the Torcal, is due to be designed, engineered and manufactured in Britain.
The £350 million programme has included upgrades across the company’s Crewe operations as Bentley prepares for the next generation of vehicles.
Government points to £1.02bn of automotive investment
The Department for Business said Bentley’s investment follows recent announcements from McLaren and Nissan.
McLaren announced a £500 million investment, while Nissan announced £170 million, taking the combined value of the three announcements to £1.02 billion between 16 and 23 September.
The Government is presenting the investments as evidence of confidence in the UK automotive sector and its wider industrial strategy.
However, the individual investment decisions are those of the manufacturers, and the announcements do not by themselves establish that Government policy was responsible for the commitments.
UK car industry undergoing major transition
The announcement comes as Britain's automotive industry continues its transition towards electric vehicle production.
The Government is consulting businesses over the pathway towards the planned 2030 phase-out of new petrol and diesel cars, while manufacturers make substantial investments in electric vehicle technology and production facilities.
Bentley’s Crewe investment adds another major British manufacturing site to that transition, with the company planning to build its first fully electric vehicle in the UK.