Bentley has announced that a new paint workshop will be inaugurated in 2025, which will be able to provide nearly 100 different colors for automotive paint. This new facility highlights Bentley's ongoing efforts in personalization, particularly as its Moliner division has seen a 43% growth last year. The paint workshop will cover 134,000 square feet and will house 370 employees across four floors.
The workshop is expected to be completed in 2025. Bentley's manufacturing chief, Andreas Lehe, and CFO, Jan Henrik Laffrenz, recently laid the foundation stone for the facility. Once operational, the workshop will be able to offer nearly 100 different paint colors to ensure customers receive their desired paint finish.
Additionally, the new facility will feature four floors of office space, accommodating up to 370 employees. Bentley states that this new building, which spans 12,460 square meters, is part of a $2.5 billion investment in future products at the Crewe factory.
Bentley aims to set a 'new standard in digital, flexible, and high-value manufacturing operations' through its manufacturing and painting processes. This flexibility is particularly crucial for the carmaker, as its internal customization division, Moliner, has become increasingly significant in recent years.
Despite an overall decline in sales for Bentley in 2023, the company reported that more customers chose to customize their vehicles with the help of Moliner than ever before. Moliner can offer an astonishing array of 46 billion different options across its standard vehicle lineup.
The new paint workshop will be carbon neutral and will play a vital role in production as Bentley transitions to electric vehicles. Four years ago, the British carmaker announced plans to switch to fully electric vehicles by 2030, but last month it stated that the launch of its first electric vehicle has been delayed.
The electric vehicle was initially slated for a 2025 reveal, but slower-than-expected growth in the electric car market has led Bentley to postpone its debut until 2026.
Adrian is an Editor. Psychology graduate with over 4 years in the automotive industry, 3 in front of the camera. Occasionally seen at his family owned tyre shop. He will only buy cars that pass the big bottle test.
