On 30 April, two board members of Bentley Motors, Andreas Lehe and Jan-Henrik Lafrentz, ceremonially broke the ground with their new initiative, the Paint Shop, at the company’s Pyms Lane factory in Crewe, Cheshire.
The new facility will be 12,460 square metres (134,118 square feet) and include a four-storey office building for 370 members of staff. After its completion in 2025, Bentley will be able to offer its customers the choice of nearly 100 colours for their luxury cars.
The Paint Shop is part of Bentley’s ‘Beyond 100’ strategy to become the leading maker of luxury electric cars by 2030. This £2.5bn investment programme will transform the Crewe site into a ‘Dream Factory’ where it will produce only battery-powered electric vehicles.
Whilst the company already offers hybrid models, its first fully electric car will be launched in 2026. It plans to launch a new electric model each year for five years.
The current factory has already been certified as carbon neutral, but by 2030, the aim is for it to be carbon negative – sometimes referred to as “climate positive” – and all Bentley’s cars will be emission-free.
The ‘Beyond 100’ programme underlines the company’s long-term commitment to its Crewe headquarters, where it employs 4,000 people. Bentley has been building cars in Crewe since 1946.
Hartey Wealth Management, based in Chester and Oswestry, is also committed to Cheshire, where it has offered financial advice and a range of investment planning services for over 25 years.
