Bentley Beyond100 – Luxurious sustainability

What is Bentley Beyond100?

• Bentley aims to be end-to-end carbon neutral by 2030, with Crewe operations climate positive after that
• Confirms move to full electrification – PHEV or BEV only by 2026
• By 2030, switching the entire model range to battery electric vehicles
• Two new PHEV launches planned in 2021
• Committed to reducing factory environmental impact by 75 percent by 2025 against a 2010 baseline – including plastic neutral
• Fully supports Volkswagen Group ambition of going beyond the two-degree target of the Paris Climate Agreement
• Targeting truly diverse talent – 30 percent of management population to be diverse, increase from less than 20 percent today
• Holistic Beyond100 program transforms every aspect of the 100-year-old company

Bentley Motors has outlined plans to become a global leader in sustainable luxury mobility with further details of its Beyond100 strategy revealed today. Bentley will reinvent every aspect of its business to become an end-to-end carbon neutral organization as it embarks on its second century with the promise to offer genuinely sustainable luxury. Bentley will switch its model range to offer exclusively plug-in hybrid or battery electric vehicles by 2026 and fully electric vehicles by 2030.

The announcement highlights Bentley’s plans to provide extraordinary mobility for the next century, evolving from the world’s largest producer of 12-cylinder petrol engines to having no internal combustion engines within a decade, reinventing itself a leader in sustainable luxury mobility.

The Beyond100 strategic plan is an extension of two decades of forward-thinking, innovation, and achievement. Acutely aware of the responsibility to consider its environmental, social, and economic impact, Bentley has transformed its 80-year-old headquarters into the UK’s single carbon-neutral luxury car factory. In parallel, the luxury marque has grown to operate in more markets than ever before, 68, while creating a long-term, consistent, sustainable business model, a truly solid basis to build for a second century.

Adrian Hallmark, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Bentley Motors, said: “Since 1919, Bentley has defined luxury grand touring. Being at the forefront of progress is part of our DNA – the original Bentley Boys were pioneers and leaders. Now, as we look Beyond100, we will continue to lead by reinventing the company and becoming the world’s benchmark luxury car business.

“Driving this change includes, and also goes beyond our products, delivering a paradigm shift throughout our business, with credibility, authenticity, and integrity. Within a decade, Bentley will transform from a 100-year-old luxury car company to a new, sustainable, wholly ethical role model for luxury.”

Carbon Neutral End-to-End

A structured, business-wide sustainability program will underpin Bentley’s aim to become an end-to-end carbon-neutral luxury car brand by 2030. This program includes developing electrified models throughout the range, improving its operational environmental impact, its tier-one supply chain, and collaborating with its retailer network.

Bentley has already committed that every model line will be offered with a hybrid variant option by 2023. Bentley’s first purely electric model will launch in 2025. Bentley is announcing a move towards zero-emission mobility.

Following the introduction of the first Bentley fully electric model in 2025 – Bentley’s first cradle to grave carbon neutral car fully – Bentley will exclusively offer plug-in hybrid and electric models only within its range in 2026. By 2030, this will change to battery electric vehicles only.

Bentley’s electrified future originates with the all-electric EXP 100 GT concept car in its centenary year, which also features many sustainable materials. These include 5,000-year-old copper-infused Riverwood, traditionally produced wool carpets, and a leather-like textile upholstery from recycled wine-making. Bentley will continue to use only sustainably sourced materials throughout its current and next generation of cars.

Last year, Bentley’s production facility in Crewe became the first luxury automotive factory in the UK to be certified carbon neutral by the Carbon Trust. This certification followed two decades of implementing innovative solutions, including a water recycling system in the paint shop, local tree planting, installing a 10,000 solar panel carport, taking the total number of on-site solar panels to 30,000, and switching to renewable-only electricity sources.

The Crewe facility will continue to improve its environmental operations. By the end of this year, all suppliers will have passed a sustainability audit, verifying their sustainability credentials. In the future, by the end of 2025, the company intends to reduce its factory environmental impact by focusing on energy consumption, CO2 emissions, wastewater, use of solvents in the painting process, and becoming plastic neutral. Bentley will invest in renewable energy and forestation projects while creating a positive climate factory by 2030.

Beyond COVID, past the Paris accord to sustainability as a car and a company

Achieving sustainable luxury mobility relies heavily on a sustainable business model, and Bentley aims to become the world’s benchmark luxury car business, financially resilient, and recession-proof. The challenging economic situation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in Bentley undertaking its most significant change program in a century.

This change program drives consistent financial resilience through rapid productivity improvements across the business and fundamental restructuring. Previously announcing a voluntary release and redundancy program with the aim of a workforce reduction of 1,000 permanent colleagues, this figure reduces to 800 colleagues, including around 200 contractor positions.

Furthermore, this voluntary release program’s success has resulted in a much smaller number of those remaining at risk of compulsory redundancy, less than 10. However, Bentley continues to investigate opportunities to avoid this outcome if possible.

The results from this comprehensive cost and investment structure have placed the business in a position to achieve a positive financial performance for the full year 2020, despite the extenuating external circumstances. This platform will create a sustainable, consistently profitable business model for the next 100 years.

100s of Extraordinary People

Designing and building Bentleys of the future will require a greater diversity of talent, achieved by retraining in some areas and developing and attracting a wide range of talent, including digital innovators and creative thinkers.

Bentley will continue to work with local schools and colleges to develop local talent in South Cheshire, building even closer links with the Crewe Engineering & Design UTC. This includes becoming the employer of choice in the automotive sector with a clear brand, vision, mission, values, and purpose. Bentley is focused on attracting diverse candidates and targets a management population of 30 percent by 2025, which is truly diverse, increasing today’s figure of less than 20 percent.

The company is committed to handcrafting cars in Crewe for the next 100 years while also preparing for a digital future. It has confirmed it will be investing in two new Research and Development buildings, a vehicle test center, and a dedicated launch quality center. This expansion and a greater focus on digitalization reinforce Bentley as a values-led organization, matching customer values of sustainability, innovation, and collaboration, which is more important than ever in a digital world.

Redefining For The Next 100

Redefining digitalization throughout the organization extends to many of the brand’s valued customers. Bentley is building a network of connected services individuals to the customer achieved through product visualization, co-creation, and a digital journey that will deliver a truly 360 degree, curated customer experience.

Beyond100 opens a new era for Bentley’s bespoke division, Mulliner, which now has a three-portfolio structure comprising Mulliner Classic, Mulliner Collections, and Mulliner Coachbuilt. The recently revealed Bacalar signifies this new age as the first member of the Mulliner Coachbuilt family and incorporates elements of the sustainable materials showcased in EXP 100 GT.

For 100 years, Bentley has defined grand touring luxury at its finest. To maintain the brand’s reputation for delivering extraordinary new luxury for customers who seek socially acceptable brands, driven to be pioneers and role models of sustainability.

What is Bentley Beyond100?

Bentley, Beyond100. Luxurious sustainability.