On 16 December 2021, a new engineering test centre at Bentley Motor's UK Crewe headquarters facility was officially opened with approval from Britain's Vehicle CertificationAgency. The plant has been certified by the Carbon Trust for three consecutive years as an ultra-luxury automotive plant that meets carbon neutral standards.
Bentley Motors' new engineering test centre, named Pyms Lane33, is funded to carry out tests on vehicle emissions, fuel consumption and the endurance of electrified models. The establishment of the test center will enable Bentley vehicles to comply with the standards set by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). At the same time, it further explains the strict craftsmanship standards of Bentley Automobile Headquarters Factory.
The establishment of the test centre also marks the first important achievement of the Bentley brand in the process of electrification development, reflecting the Bentley brand's continued commitment to the "Beyond100" business strategy and commitment to leading a sustainable ultra-luxury mode of travel. With the new Engineering Test Centre, the Bentley brand will be able to conduct fuel consumption and energy efficiency testing of vehicles under WLTP conditions more efficiently. In addition, by mid-2022, Bentley Motors' production operations are expected to meet the goal of complying with all global emission standards.
The test center covers an area of 4,600 square meters, including 773 square meters of office space, and 1,550 square meters of space for the installation of chassis dynamometers with climate control.
During the test, engineers can calculate the exhaust emissions of the combustion engine model and the electrical energy consumption of the hybrid model and the future pure electric model by simulating different slopes on an advanced rolling road test bench, and the test temperature conditions can simulate -20°C to -50°C.
The new engineering test center is expected to accommodate more than 100 staff, houses Bentley's Automotive Technical Compliance Department, and has a laboratory for RealDriving Emissions, using the state-of-the-art Portable Missions Measurement System.
Matthias Rabe, Member of Bentley Motors' Board of Directors responsible for Engineering, said: "The inauguration of Bentley Automotive's new Engineering Test Centre is one of the key achievements of the Bentley Brand in the transformation phase, contributing to the independent implementation of vehicle testing and further demonstrating the determination to achieve the vision of sustainable development. As of 2024, the Bentley brand expects to offer a hybrid model option for all vehicle lines. The centre will meet bentley customers' highest expectations for ultra-luxury manual vehicles with an efficient and demanding level of vehicle testing. ”