Stellantis restarts Ellesmere Port production following £100 million electric vehicle investment

Stellantis has restarted production at its Ellesmere Port factory after reinventing the location as a dedicated electric-only facility.

Following a significant £100 million investment, Ellesmere Port takes the lead as the UK’s first EV-only manufacturing plant.

Over the next few years, the facility will not only produce the Vauxhall, Opel, Peugeot, Citroën electric vans but, as revealed today, the Fiat E-Doblò compact van will also join the lineup in response to the growing European demand for EVs.

Furthermore, from 2024, a series of electric passenger vehicles, including models like the Vauxhall Combo Life Electric, will be manufactured here, emphasizing the site’s central role in Stellantis’s green transition.

Secretary of State for Business and Trade, Kemi Badenoch, lauded the initiative, stating, “Today’s announcement demonstrates the UK government’s commitment to propelling the UK’s automotive sector into a sustainable future.

The steps taken by Stellantis, in tandem with other significant automotive investments, fortify the UK’s position at the helm of automotive innovation.”

Diane Miller, Plant Director at Ellesmere Port, said, “The dawn of electric vehicle production at Ellesmere Port not only underscores a prosperous future for the plant but resonates with Vauxhall’s deep-rooted UK manufacturing history. The addition of Fiat E-Doblò further highlights the surging demand for electric vehicles.”

For Ellesmere Port, this transformation has been more than just a shift in vehicle type.

The plant has witnessed the installation of a new battery assembly shop, a revamped General Assembly, and an overhauled bodyshop.

These renovations have bolstered the site’s energy efficiency and productivity by a striking 60%.

The plant’s entire size now mimics its previous bodyshop footprint at 118,000m^2.

And there’s more — a state-of-the-art test track, a parts distribution warehouse gearing up for a 2024 launch, and sustainable advancements like the energy-efficient ‘4-wet’ paint application process.

Stellantis’s broader environmental vision shines through with the company’s Dare Forward 2030 ambition to halve its carbon footprint by the end of this decade, targeting a carbon net zero by 2038.

Integral to this plan, Ellesmere Port is gearing up to run on renewables such as solar and wind power, with connections to the HyNet North West Hydrogen Pipeline also in the pipeline.

The Ellesmere Port facility, with its rich history dating back to 1962, has been an icon in UK automotive manufacturing.

From producing its inaugural car, the Vauxhall Viva in 1964, to over 4.1 million units since 1985, the facility stands as a testament to the UK’s automotive prowess.

Among the first electric vehicles to be produced at Ellesmere Port, the Vauxhall Combo Electric, is powered by a 50kWh lithium-ion battery paired with a 100kW (136PS) electric motor.

It is capable of up to 175 miles of range (WLTP), while a 0-80% charge can be completed in just 30 mins from a 100kW rapid charger.