Yahoo Finance Presents: Inside Bentley Motors and its EV Push

Yahoo Finance’s Pras Subramanian’s speaks with Bentley Director of Mulliner & Motorsport Paul Williams about Mulliner becoming new sub-brand for Bentley, and Bentley’s electric future.

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PRAS SUBRAMANIAN: Hey, guys. I'm here at the Bentley factory in Crewe, England. Joining me now is Paul Williams, the head of Mulliner. We're in this Mulliner division area right now where you guys actually have customers put their personalized touch on certain cars. Tell me about that business and why it's so important for Bentley?

PAUL WILLIAMS: I think Mulliner is a really special thing for Bentley and it's a really special thing for our customers. Primarily because it gives you the chance to really interact with us and to come and work together with us as a brand. So when you choose to do something with Mulliner, you're choosing to bespoke or customize your vehicle, that gives you, on the one side, a unique and special product. The other side, also gives you a chance to work with us, work with the designers, work with our craftsmen to really create something that is really special and really shows a bit of your personality.

PRAS SUBRAMANIAN: So, you know, I actually did the tour earlier today of the factory floor. I saw the people working with high-end robotics, technology, but also working with their hands to make these really hand-finished products. What is the future of Mulliner exactly? Is it still a continuation of that technology plus a hand-finish touch or is it kind of like expanding beyond what you guys do right now?

PAUL WILLIAMS: I think exactly as you say. What we have nowadays with modern coachbuilding, I mean, we spoke about the [INAUDIBLE] before, is that-- that's-- with modern coachbuilding, you use both sides of it. On the one side, you use modern techniques, so we use modern carbon manufacture, technology.

And on top of that, we do the hand craftsmanship. So we make carbon parts, but then we hand fit, we hand build them, we make them into very special vehicles. And so in the modern coachbuilding is really the best of both of those worlds. The best of technology as well as the best of hand craftsmanship.

PRAS SUBRAMANIAN: So, you know, speaking of technology, we were at Goodwood earlier this past week and we saw an electric car win the shootout up the hill, which is pretty fascinating and amazing. Bentley also is going to go EV in the future pretty soon. Talk to me about what your clients expect from that?

Do they want that even? Are they excited for it? And what does that mean for the performance of the cars?

PAUL WILLIAMS: So yeah, we've dedicated ourselves to going electric and really, really quickly as a brand. And we see this as a huge opportunity. And of course, we have customers who love combustion. I do as well, and you know, it's a great thing to experience. But when you experience an EV vehicle and you can see what it can do, and how that can be at the same time the most incredible performance, like, the car we saw yesterday at Goodwood.

But at the same time the most incredible luxury, the ability to be super quiet, and to enable you, again, with the flexibility that electrical platforms offer. The ability to customize a car even more, create even more something special and bespoke for the customers as well. These are great opportunities with EVs.

PRAS SUBRAMANIAN: I think we're going to look forward to the future of EVs, and Bentleys, and Mulliner, and of course, customization. Paul, thanks so much. Really appreciate it.

PAUL WILLIAMS: Yeah, great to see you.

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