Bentley is investing billions in electric cars in the UK

British luxury car maker Bentley Motors will start production of the UK’s first all-electric car. The plan is part of a £2.5 billion (£3 billion) investment to switch from 12-cylinder combustion engines to electric powertrains.

German car group Volkswagen, owner of Bentley, has said it will modernize the Bentley plant in Crewe, England, over the next decade. The decision brings relief to the factory’s 4,000 workers and the British government, which has committed to preserving the factory. The production site has been threatened by Britain’s exit from the European Union and the accelerated switch from petrol engines to electric models.

The more environmentally friendly plant in Crewe will begin production of the brand’s first electric car in 2025. The company has already introduced hybrid variants of the Bentayga SUV and Flying Spur sedan.

Bentley plans to offer only hybrids and electric cars by 2026. By the end of the decade, the company will switch to fully electric cars.

Italian luxury sports car maker Lamborghini, also owned by Volkswagen, has committed 1.5 billion euros to switch to plug-in hybrid cars and plans to introduce an all-electric model in the second half of the decade.