Bentley to Unveil First Electric SUV 'Torkal' on the 23rd, Convert Crewe Production Facility

[Financial News] Bentley Motors is set to unveil its first all-electric urban luxury SUV, the 'Torkal,' as it begins transforming its production system at its Crewe plant in the UK. The company plans to invest a total of £350 million in vehicle development and production facilities, while building a new line at the existing plant that combines handcrafting with automated guided transport technology. Bentley aims to secure electric vehicle production capabilities by handling everything from design and engineering to manufacturing at its Crewe headquarters.
Bentley Motors announced on the 18th that it will unveil the Torkal to the world for the first time at 7:19 p.m. on the 23rd, British time. The unveiling time symbolizes 1919, the year Bentley was founded. Detailed vehicle specifications will be announced at the global launch event.
The Torkal is Bentley's fourth model and will be hand-built on a new production line at Crewe's 'Dream Factory.' Crewe has served as Bentley's hub for design, development, engineering and production for 80 years since vehicle manufacturing began there in 1946.
The new production line is being created by renovating an existing factory building constructed in 1938. The space was initially used as a machining area and, until recently, served as a research and development facility.
Bentley completely cleared the building's interior and precisely leveled the floor to install the production equipment. The work is intended to enable Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) to transport Torkal bodies within the facility. The approach combines automated transport technology with traditional handcrafting processes.
The new production line, nearing completion, is part of a total £350 million investment plan that includes development of the Torkal and a new paint shop. The project focuses on expanding the equipment needed for electric vehicle production while making use of the existing building.
The Torkal is also the first product of Crewe's new design studio, which opened last year. The studio was likewise established by renovating a building constructed in 1939. Designers from various fields work there on next-generation vehicle development, custom-made furniture projects and personalization work through Bentley Mulliner, the company's bespoke division.
Alongside developing electric vehicles, Bentley will continue leveraging its existing hand-built production capabilities. Representative models include the V8-powered, rear-wheel-drive high-performance 'Supersports' and the 'Speed Six,' a reproduction model hand-built by Bentley Mulliner.
More than 4,000 people work at Bentley's Crewe headquarters campus. The entire site covers 521,111 square meters, including 166,930 square meters of indoor space.
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