Bentley Unveils Torcal, Its First Fully Electric Vehicle

Bentley has unveiled the Torcal, its first fully electric car, an SUV that will be built on a new production line at the carmaker's headquarters in Crewe, Cheshire, England, according to BBC News.

What is the Torcal and where will it be built?

The Torcal will be assembled inside one of the Crewe site's original factory buildings, dating from 1938, which previously housed Bentley's machining shop and later its research and development workshop, BBC News reported. The building has been stripped and fitted with a new floor designed to let autonomous guided vehicles move cars through the production process. Crewe has served as Bentley's headquarters since 1946.

What performance and range does the Torcal offer?

Bentley said the Torcal's 113kWh battery gives it a range of up to 375 miles (600km) and that the car can charge from 10% to 80% in less than 20 minutes on a 400kW charger, per BBC News. The standard Torcal has a top speed of 155mph and accelerates from standstill to 60mph in 3.3 seconds. A higher-performance Torcal S variant is Bentley's most powerful and fastest-accelerating model yet, the company said, reaching 60mph in 2.8 seconds with a top speed of 162mph.

Torcal at a glance

• Battery: 113kWh
• Range: up to 375 miles (600km)
• Charging: 10%–80% in under 20 minutes on a 400kW charger
• Standard model: 0–60mph in 3.3 seconds, top speed 155mph
• Torcal S: 0–60mph in 2.8 seconds, top speed 162mph

How many jobs are tied to the investment?

Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said the factory investment would "support 4,000 high-value local jobs in Crewe," BBC News reported. The Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade said the Torcal would strengthen automotive supply chains, noting Bentley is supplied by more than 700 businesses, including 82 within a 50-mile radius of the Crewe site.

What is Bentley saying about the car's design?

Dr. Frank-Steffen Walliser, Bentley's chairman and chief executive, called the Torcal "one of the best Bentleys ever" and said it was designed to combine luxury with electric technology, according to BBC News. "The Torcal is a Bentley first and foremost, created by hand by people who care, using the best available materials and technology to blend heritage with cutting-edge innovation," Walliser said. The interior uses materials including leather, wool and aluminum, BBC News reported, and the car's exterior is finished in aluminum.

How does this fit into Britain's automotive sector?

Reynolds described the Bentley investment as part of a run of recent announcements for Britain's automotive industry, following investment news from McLaren and Nissan in the same period, BBC News reported. The unveiling comes as the UK motor industry faces headwinds elsewhere: JLR recently announced large-scale job cuts, and manufacturers are looking for new ways to grow their businesses even as some in the industry have called to slow the switch to a fully electric future, according to BBC News. The government has said it plans to phase out sales of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030.

Bentley itself has had a mixed run in Crewe this year. BBC News noted that more than 200 jobs were reported at risk at the carmaker in March, and workers described themselves as "shocked and angry" at job cuts announced around the same time. The Torcal launch marks Bentley's shift toward a production line built specifically for electric models at a site that has built the marque's cars since the Second World War era.

Bentley did not immediately provide additional financial detail beyond the figures cited in its announcement, and the company's press materials, along with government comments to BBC News, form the basis of the specifications and jobs figures reported here.

How much is Bentley investing in the Crewe factory?

Bentley is spending £350m to upgrade the Crewe site for Torcal production, BBC News reported. Reynolds called the investment "the third win in just seven days" for Britain's automotive sector, following a £500m investment announced by McLaren and £170m from Nissan, according to BBC News. The government separately said it is investing £7.5bn to support the country's transition to electric vehicles, BBC News reported, a figure tied to its broader push to phase out sales of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030.

Artiglio is A coming-soon iPhone chief of staff for briefings and drafts. Not on the App Store yet.