Bentley unveils its first fully electric car
The SUVs will be built on a new production line in Crewe, which has been Bentley's base since 1946.
Bentley has revealed its first fully electric car after spending £350m upgrading its factory in Cheshire.
The Torcal SUV will be produced on a new production line at the site, which has served as the luxury carmaker’s headquarters since 1946.
Business secretary Jonathan Reynolds said the investment would "support 4,000 high-value local jobs in Crewe".
The Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade said the Torcal would bolster automotive supply chains, with Bentley supplied by more than 700 businesses, including 82 within a 50-mile radius of its base.
The announcement comes as the UK motor industry faces strong headwinds, with JLR recently announcing large-scale job cuts and manufacturers seeking new ways to grow their businesses.
Even as new electric models are being announced to help future-proof the industry, there have been calls to slow the move to a fully EV future.
Bentley said the Torcal’s 113kWh battery provides a range of up to 375 miles (600km), and that it can charge from 10% to 80% in under 20 minutes using a 400kW charger.
The company added that the Torcal S model would also be its most powerful car yet, with a top speed of 162mph, and its quickest from 0 to 60mph, reaching that in 2.8 seconds.
The standard Torcal can reach 155mph and goes from 0 to 60mph in 3.3 seconds.
Inside the car, materials such as leather, wool and aluminium are used.
Dr Frank-Steffen Walliser, Bentley’s chairman and chief executive, described the Torcal as "one of the best Bentleys ever" and said it had been designed to unite luxury with electric technology.
"The Torcal is a Bentley first and foremost, created by hand by people who care, using the best available materials and technology to blend heritage with cutting-edge innovation," he said.
The new Bentley features an aluminium finish.
The new production line is located inside one of the Crewe site’s original factory buildings, which dates back to 1938.
It once housed the company’s machining shop and later its research and development workshop. The building has now been stripped out and fitted with a new floor designed to let autonomous guided vehicles move cars through the production process.
Reynolds called Bentley’s £350m investment "the third win in just seven days" for Britain’s automotive industry, following £500m announced by McLaren and £170m from Nissan.
The government said it is investing £7.5bn to support the shift to electric vehicles, with plans to end the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030.