Electric vans will take a central role at the newly revamped Ellesmere Port factory in Cheshire, with the plant to be dedicated solely to electric vehicles.
The plant is the Stellantis group’s first EV-only manufacturing facility and the only factory in the UK dedicated solely to electric vehicles. The regeneration comes as a result of a £100m investment.
The company’s electric small vans are the first vehicles set to roll off the production line, with their passenger-car equivalents set to follow in 2024. The first vehicle to be made under the new plan was a Vauxhall Combo van.
Ellesmere Port might once have been a Vauxhall plant, but it is now set to produce the Vauxhall Combo Electric (and its European equivalent, the Opel Combo Electric) the Citroen e-Berlingo, the Fiat E-Doblo and the Peugeot e-Partner. The Vauxhall Combo Life Electric, Citroen e-Berlingo and Peugeot e-Rifter will then be made at the site in 2024.
The notable exception is the Toyota Proace City, which will not be made at Ellesmere Port. This will continue to be built at the Stellantis plant in Vigo, Spain. The group’s medium vans, the Citroen Dispatch, Fiat Scudo, Peugeot Expert and Vauxhall Vivaro will continue to be built in the company’s factory in Luton. However, this only applies to the diesel versions – the electric models will still be made in France.
Notable upgrades to the plant
Stellantis has made several notable changes to Ellesmere Port in order to get it ready to build electric vehicles. It has added a battery assembly shop, upgraded the General Assembly area and moved the bodyshop.
It has also downgraded the size of the site, so that it is now 60% smaller than before. This should then boost productivity and use less energy.
It has also built a new test track and there will be a new parts distribution warehouse, which Stellantis is still building ahead of the upgrade’s completion in early 2024.
There are several other improvements aimed at boosting sustainability, with a new more efficient ‘4-wet’ paint application process. It is also creating a localised combined heat and power plant so the site can generate its own electricity. The end goal is to run on solar and wind power, though, while it will also connect to the HyNet North West Hydrogen Pipeline.
Diane Miller, plant director, Ellesmere Port, said: ‘The start of electric vehicle production at Ellesmere Port signals a bright future for the plant, ensuring it will continue to manufacture vehicles for many years to come. With Vauxhall’s long history of UK manufacturing, it’s especially fitting that the first electric model to roll off Ellesmere Port’s production line is a Combo Electric. Whilst the welcome addition of the Fiat E-Doblo to the plant is a positive reflection of increasing electric vehicle demand.’
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