Bentley has opened a 140,000-square-foot Engineering Technical Center at its Crewe headquarters in England. This facility is built to highlight the British marque’s inevitable shift to an all-electric lineup by 2035. For an automaker renowned for its V8s and W12s powering everything from continent-crossing coupes and stately saloons that feature luxurious handcrafted cabins lined with the finest woods and leathers, this marks a decisive moment.
We first saw this outline take shape last year when Bentley broke ground on a new paint shop and, more recently, in July, when it revealed its EXP15 concept. Besides the new winged B logo, the concept carries design cues that directly reference the Blue Train Bentley, a historic coachbuilt model from the 1930s, which became one of the most significant models of all time. Three-time Le Mans winner Woolf Banarto famously raced a Speed 6 against Le Train Bleu from Cannes on the French Riviera to London and won. The EXP15 concept serves as another pivotal moment in Bentley’s history as it previews the brand’s electric future.
“This new Engineering Technical Centre is a key building block for the successful delivery of this strategy and helps enable engineering concepts to become reality.” – Dr. Matthias Rabe, Board Member for R&D, Bentley Motors.
The new facility spans two floors and houses a prototype workshop, materials development, and software integration labs. It also consolidates the hardware and digital sides of development, giving the brand tighter control over how its next-generation of highly autonomous and digitally connected models are tested and prepared for production. Bentley’s Beyond100+ plan promises a new hybrid or EV every year until the brand goes fully electric.
Crewe has been Bentley’s home since the 1940s, when production shifted from Derby after the war. Every modern Bentley since has been built at the Pyms Lane location. The A1 building, the oldest on site, once housed engineering teams. Now, those departments have moved into the Technical Center, freeing A1 to become the BEV assembly line by 2027.
Essentially, this new facility is designed to offer a seamless transition, ensuring that future Bentleys can carry over the performance and refinement that the marque’s aristocratic faithful expect, as the British automaker continues to embrace electrification.
Images: Bentley
