Bentley Motors has begun construction of its new battery electric vehicle (BEV) assembly line at its historic Pyms Lane site, reinforcing its long-term commitment to UK manufacturing. The development coincides with the luxury carmaker’s announcement of its sixth consecutive year of profitability, with record levels of personalisation driving a 10% increase in revenue per car over the past two years.
Revenue for 2024 stood at €2.648bn, with operating profit at €373m and a return on sales of 14.1%. Bentley’s strong financial performance supports its Beyond100+ strategy, which aims to make the company exclusively electric by 2035 while introducing a new hybrid or electric model every year over the next decade.
Dr. Frank-Steffen Walliser, chairman and CEO of Bentley Motors, said: “Last year marked a milestone year in our transformation as we prepare for our electric future. We are investing at levels never seen before at Bentley, as we not only revolutionise our product cycle plan, but also transform an 85-year-old site for a new age of electrification. These are the critical foundations that will build our long-term sustainability and success.”
He added: “Despite global challenges in 2024 and the run out and replacement of three of our four model lines, financial resilience measures introduced towards the end of the last decade ensured a sixth year of consistent profitability. Looking forward to 2025, of course we continue to navigate difficult global market conditions and maintained volatile political and economic environments, however our strength of sales is strong.
“We have reached record levels of revenue per car, a well-balanced export strategy and a clear structure to maximise personalisation. This, added to a full year availability of our new plug-in hybrid Continental GT and Flying Spur models gives us a great deal of optimism and will have a significant, positive impact on our order bank and sales as we continue through the year.”
The new BEV assembly line will be housed in A1, the oldest building on the Crewe site. The transformation of this facility is part of Bentley’s broader investment in its carbon-neutral Pyms Lane factory. This follows the recent opening of the Excellence Centre for Quality & Launch and a new paint shop, which will soon offer nearly 100 individual colour choices for customers.
Although revenue was down 10% year-on-year due to model transitions, 70% of Bentley customers opted for Mulliner bespoke options, contributing to record levels of personalisation. The company remains focused on its electrification strategy, with its first fully electric model set to arrive in 2027.
