We reside in a world by which automotive manufactures are being thrust into the highlight as authorities all over the world look to cut back CO2 emissions, with the goal of slowing international warming and the alarming fee at which the icecaps are dissolving. For governments it’s a fast and simple to seem proactive by asserting bans on the gross sales and use of combustion engines, as we’re witnessing. What impression does which have on a producer and the way do they adapt? I spoke to the group at Bentley to find how a model, which is the world’s largest producer of 12-cylinder petrol engines, is trying to the long run.

All of it begins at Bentley’s house in Crewe: Bentley grew to become the primary firm to be awarded the accreditation for assessing, decreasing and mitigating the worldwide plastic international plastic footprint of its logistics packaging, car safety and aftersales packaging. This was independently verified. Moreover, in 2019, the manufacturing facility in Crewe grew to become the primary luxurious automotive manufacturing unit within the UK to licensed carbon impartial by the Carbon Belief. This was awarded on the again of 20 years of innovation options which included a water recycling system within the paint store, planting timber regionally and the set up of 10,000 photo voltaic panels on web site, bringing the full to 30,000. This allowed the spectacular change to solely renewable-only electrical energy. In 2010 Bentley dedicated to cut back its production-related environmental impression by 75% earlier than 2025, this goal has been achieved and exceed, with years to spare.

The Crewe facility shouldn’t be stopping right here, Bentley will proceed to enhance its environmental operations. By the top of 2022, all suppliers may have handed a sustainability audit, verifying their sustainability credentials. Sooner or later, by the top of 2025, the corporate intends to cut back its manufacturing unit environmental impression by specializing in vitality consumption, CO2 emissions, waste water, use of solvents within the paint course of and changing into plastic impartial. This can end in a local weather optimistic manufacturing unit by 2030, actively decreasing ranges of carbon within the ambiance, whereas in parallel the enterprise invests in renewable vitality and forestation tasks.

What in regards to the automobiles themselves? Bentley’s goal to develop into an end-to-end carbon impartial luxurious automobile model by 2030 is underpinned by a structured, business-wide sustainability programme. This contains the event of electrified fashions all through the vary, and additional enhancements on its operational environmental impression, that of its tier one provide chain and collaborating with its retailer community.

Following the introduction of the primary Bentley absolutely electrical mannequin in 2025 – Bentley’s first cradle to grave absolutely carbon impartial automobile – Bentley will completely provide plug-in hybrid and electrical fashions solely inside its vary in 2026. By 2030, it will change to battery electrical automobiles solely.  

Bentley’s electrified future was previewed with the reveal of the all-electric EXP 100 GT idea automobile in its centenary yr, which additionally featured a large number of sustainable supplies. These included 5,000-year-old copper-infused Riverwood, historically produced wool carpets and a leather-like textile upholstery produced from a bi-product of wine-making. Bentley will proceed to make use of solely sustainably sourced supplies all through its present, and subsequent technology of automobiles.

Bentley’s method to redefining its enterprise mannequin will likely be constructed round its accelerated journey in the direction of electrification. Having already dedicated that each mannequin line will likely be provided with the choice of a hybrid variant by 2023, with Bentley’s first pure electrical mannequin to be launched in 2025, Bentley is as we speak asserting a transfer in the direction of zero emission mobility.

It doesn’t cease at manufacturing and goes past the automobiles, too. Bentley Motors has develop into a big contributor to native biodiversity and their carbon-neutral manufacturing unit. They’ve over 300,000 bees, fantastically named ‘The Bentley Bees’, which work to provide greater than 200 jars of honey per harvest season. There are a whole lot of native British timber on the Crewe web site and over 1000 flowers.

This thought of method continues into the Bentley way of life. While in Hamberg to expertise the Hybrid Flying Spur, I used to be given a peek and provided a sip of a brand new Bentley collaboration with The Macallan who’ve labored collectively to current The Macallan Horizon – the primary restricted version single malt whisky being created by the model collaboration. The place is that this sustainability in all of this?

Reflecting the sustainability core that’s on the coronary heart of the partnership along with a joint goal of innovation, the prototype of The Macallan Horizon fuses conventional craftsmanship, recycled supplies and an unique horizontal design. Created following in depth joint improvement between Bentley Motors and The Macallan, the prototype encapsulates a joint ambition of constructing a sustainable future from the wealthy heritage of each manufacturers.

In homage to The Macallan’s acclaimed Six Pillars – the muse stones of the model that account for its distinctive single malt whiskies – The Macallan Horizon incorporates six distinctive upcycled, repurposed or ethically sourced supplies that are integral to The Macallan and Bentley Motors.


It’s clear that being inexperienced is a precedence and is changing into a defining goal at Bentley. From the way in which automobiles are being produced to the way in which they’re powered, there’s a clear change in mindset, but no compromise in high quality or the expertise that we now have come to know and love from the model. Bravo Bentley.