Bentley breaks ground on advanced electric vehicle development centres

Bentley Motors has undertaken a ground-breaking ceremony for its new Launch Quality Centre and Engineering Technical Centre.

The new facility at the luxury car brand’s headquarters in Crewe, will be integral to preparations for future Battery-Powered Electric Vehicle (BEV) production and to set a new benchmark in next generation, digital, flexible and high-value manufacturing.            

The new buildings will include a replica BEV assembly line as preparation for the introduction of Bentley’s first BEV in 2026.

Reinforcing this as a hub for future model development, it includes a software integration centre, prototype workshop, metrology testing and area focusing on future materials development.

To mark the occasion, Peter Bosch, member of the board for manufacturing and Dr Matthias Rabe, member of the board for R&D, signed a structural column – one of 101 in the building.

Costing £35 million to construct, the centre forms part of a £2.5 billion, ten-year investment programme in future products and at the Pyms Lane factory in Crewe.

This digital, zero environmental impact, flexible and high-value 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.

The new Launch Quality Centre will take up two floors, each covering 4,000m². The in-house metrology team will be located on the ground floor. The second floor will be home to a almost complete production proving ground, comprising a laboratory for future materials testing and a mini assembly line for BEV assembly. 

The Engineering Technical Centre will also be located across two floors, covering a total of 13,000m². The centre will house a prototype workshop for models of the future, materials development and a software integration centre.

All of these departments will be relocated from their current homes in the A1 building, which is the oldest existing building at the Pyms Lane site and which will be transformed to BEV assembly in time for production to commence in 2026. In total, the Launch Quality Centre and Engineering Technical Centre will be home to approximately 300 Bentley staff and is planned for completion by the end of 2023.

Peter Bosch, member of the board for manufacturing, commented: “The new Launch Quality Centre and Engineering Technical Centre are major milestones on our journey towards an electrified, carbon-neutral future.

“The automotive industry is in the middle of a digital revolution, with cars becoming true digital devices. This presents a significant opportunity for Bentley as we aim for a benchmark position in next generation, high-value manufacturing that supports our evolving Dream Factory and re-emphasises our commitment to both our Beyond100 strategy and our long-term future at the site.”

Bentley Motors

www.bentleymotors.com