11 months ago
Bentley is to halt production of conventionally fuelled cars and only offer electrified vehicles by 2026.
It will then make plug-in hybrids or battery-electrics, and then just battery-electrics by 2030.
Chief executive Adrian Hallmark said the luxury brand also aims to become an ‘an end-to-end carbon-neutral’ firm by then.
The Crewe-based company was ‘on a mission’ he added, and that efforts to reduce carbon emissions were ‘not a race but we don’t want to be last’.
Hallmark said: ‘A 100-year-old company that’s renowned for the best and most successful 12-cylinder in the world will not be building engines in less than a decade.
‘This is profound change for the industry and we want to lead that change. We’re not frightened by it, we’re inspired by it.’
Transport secretary Grant Shapps has indicated that a ban on sales of new petrol, diesel and hybrid cars and vans could be brought forward from 2040 to meet carbon reduction targets.
Hallmark wants the government to ensure there is an ‘overlap’ so that hybrids can be sold for a time after petrol and diesel car sales are banned.
‘I think we’re now getting through,’ he said.
‘I’m not being complacent when I say that. It’s been a good debate, a passionate debate, but I think they are listening to the arguments, and we trust that the right decisions will be made.’
Bentley is aiming to break even for the year after having to cut 800 jobs because of the pandemic.
However, Hallmark said redeployments, voluntary redundancies and reducing contractors meant just 10 people were at risk of compulsory redundancy.
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