Bentley says AI will support, not replace, its craftspeople

Bentley’s AI message: assistance, not replacement

Bentley’s latest public message around AI is that the technology will not displace the human side of its manufacturing. In CarExpert’s report from the reveal of the brand’s first electric vehicle, the Torcal SUV, Bentley executives said human craftsmanship remains part of the marque’s DNA and will continue to be part of production. Martin Page, product line director for the Torcal, said that personal touch stays on every car that leaves the factory, while Bentley head of design T. Jon Mayer said the brand benefits from being a smaller-volume manufacturer because meticulous detail and authenticity are still central to how it builds cars. ⁵

That stance is consistent with comments Bentley CEO Dr Frank-Steffen Walliser made in a transcript of his interview with Raj Shamani. Walliser said AI can help in many processes, but in design he would be careful because the technology relies heavily on existing knowledge and cannot replace creativity, imagination and the skill set needed to understand a brand’s heritage. He also said Bentley continues to rely on human judgement for clay modelling, surface evaluation and release decisions, describing the real object as important before tooling is committed. ²

Leather inspection is the clearest production use case

Bentley’s most clearly documented manufacturing AI application is the Hide Inspection system introduced to improve leather selection for its interiors. According to just-auto, the system uses high-resolution cameras and AI to detect imperfections such as insect bites, holes and scars, helping Bentley identify defects earlier in the process and reduce waste. The publication said the technology removes the need for workers to manually inspect each hide, but does not replace Bentley’s skilled craftspeople, who instead focus on detailed hand-sewn finishes. ¹

Just-auto also reported that Bentley linked the system to its sustainability goals, claiming a reduction of 135.7kg of CO₂ emissions per vehicle. The same report said a Bentayga SUV interior requires about nine leather hides and noted that Bentley’s board member for manufacturing, Andreas Lehe, described Hide Inspection as one of several industry-first innovations at the company’s Dream Factory in Crewe. He also said Bentley’s Beyond100+ strategy would support a more sustainable, electrified future. ¹

AI is being folded into factory systems and maintenance

Bentley’s AI adoption is not limited to cabin materials. TechInformed reported in June that Capgemini will provide digital infrastructure and systems integration for Bentley’s manufacturing technology and back-office processes at Crewe, while also strengthening the carmaker’s AI and data capabilities. The scope described by the companies includes customer and commercial analytics, IT service operations, data architecture, manufacturing systems modernisation, cost optimisation and continuous improvement. ⁴

TechInformed said the Capgemini work is part of Bentley’s wider Dream Factory modernisation and cited overlapping changes in the physical plant, including new facilities and work on the A1 building, which is intended to house the first battery-electric vehicle assembly line. The report also noted a revised electrification path, with Bentley saying its earlier goal of becoming fully electric by 2035 could be extended and that a new date for the transition had not yet been set. ⁴

Maintenance is another area where Bentley is already using AI in a practical way. The Manufacturer reported that Bentley’s head of maintenance, Jonathan Peedell, said AI-driven algorithms have helped identify potential breakdowns early, allowing maintenance teams to choose between immediate intervention and planned work. He said the company has been working with predictive algorithms for around three years and has used them to mitigate several significant potential breakdowns. ³

Crewe rebuild, EV timing and what is still known

The manufacturing changes sit inside a broader investment and product reset at Crewe. TechInformed reported that Bentley’s Design Centre and Integrated Logistics Centre opened in 2025, a new Paint Shop was due in 2026, and work was continuing on the A1 building for the brand’s first battery-electric vehicle. The same report said Bentley’s November 2025 update put its first fully electric model, described then as a Luxury Urban SUV, into pre-series build ahead of a planned launch towards the end of 2026 and market deliveries during 2027. ⁴

CarExpert’s report added that the Torcal SUV can be ordered in specific markets from this week, with production to start in the second quarter of 2027, while Australian timing remained unconfirmed and first local deliveries were expected before the end of next year. That article also said the Torcal is being assembled in Crewe on a newly restored production building dating back to 1938, after Bentley invested billions of pounds in what it described as a future-ready manufacturing and innovation campus. ⁵

The longer-running context from Walliser’s interview is that Bentley sees human craftsmanship as a defining element even as it digitises more of the business. He described AI as useful for some background processes and for aerodynamic proposals, but repeatedly returned to the need for skilled people, saying Bentley’s refinement decisions, design choices and engineering judgement still come from human expertise. That aligns with the company’s current manufacturing direction: more software, more data and more automation support, but not a factory stripped of craftsmanship. ²