Ellesmere Port has change into not solely the UK’s first EV-only plant but additionally the first-ever Stellantis manufacturing facility devoted to electrical autos, following a £100 million funding.

The plant will produce all-electric small vans together with the Vauxhall Combo Electrical, Opel Combo Electrical, Peugeot e-Associate, Citroën ë-Berlingo and resulting from elevated demand for electrical autos throughout Europe – the Fiat E-Doblò compact van. 

From 2024, Ellesmere Port may also produce a variety of electrical passenger autos together with the Vauxhall Combo Life Electrical, Peugeot e-Rifter and Citroën ë-Berlingo MPVs.

Diane Miller, plant director, Ellesmere Port, stated: “The beginning of electrical automobile manufacturing at Ellesmere Port indicators a shiny future for the plant, making certain it’ll proceed to fabricate autos for a few years to return.

“With Vauxhall’s lengthy historical past of UK manufacturing, it’s particularly becoming that the primary electrical mannequin to roll off Ellesmere Port’s manufacturing line is a Combo Electrical. While the welcome addition of the Fiat E-Doblò to the plant is a constructive reflection of accelerating electrical automobile demand.”

As a part of its transformation for EV manufacturing, the Ellesmere Port plant has undergone a number of key modifications together with the addition of a battery meeting store, upgraded common meeting and relocation of the bodyshop. This has contributed to a 60% discount of the whole website space for improved vitality effectivity and productiveness.

A brand new check observe has additionally been constructed and a brand new components distribution warehouse is in its closing phases of building, forward of changing into absolutely operational in early 2024.

Ellesmere Port was inbuilt 1962 and produced its first automotive, the Vauxhall Viva, in 1964. Since then, it has produced fashions from the Vauxhall vary together with the Chevette and successive generations of the Vauxhall and Opel Astra. Since 1985, greater than 4.1 million items have rolled off the manufacturing strains at Ellesmere Port.