Stellantis saves Vauxhall factory in Ellesmere Port with £50m investment bringing hundreds of jobs

Alistair Houghton
·2-min read
Vauxhall Combo Electric positioned at the end of Ellesmere Port's production line
-Credit: (Image: Stellantis via Getty Images)


Car giant Stellantis is pumping £50m into its Ellesmere Port plant in a move that could see hundreds of jobs moved there. Stellantis is planning to move all van production in the UK to its Ellesmere Port site and to close its Luton plant. The move secures the future of the Mersey site, which was famous for making the Vauxhall Astra and today employs more than 1,000. There had been fears over its future, with union Unite just last week demanding certainty from bosses.

The Ellesmere Port site celebrated its 60th anniversary this year. It is now the UK’s first electric vehicle-only manufacturing plant and makes compact electric vans including the Citroën ë-Berlingo, Vauxhall Combo Electric, Opel Combo Electric, Peugeot E-Partner and Fiat Professional E-Doblo.

Stellantis says it has chosen to invest inEllesmere Port thanks to its skilled workforce and to back up investments it has already made in electric vehicle making at the site.

In 2021, Stellantis invested £100m to convert the site to battery-electric LCV production, The work included the creation of a new body shop and a battery pack assembly area.Ellesmere Port also hosts the new 59,500m² Stellantis UK parts distribution centre, and is neat to the Green Automotive Hub located at Eastham docks.

The company is now consulting with workers and unions in Luton. The group said: “Whilst strengthening Ellesmere Port as its sustainable LCV hub in the UK with the transfer of Luton operations, Stellantis remains committed to acting responsibly toward its employees in Luton and, if the Company proposal is approved, will offer relocation support to facilitate employees wishing to transfer to the Ellesmere Port site with an attractive package, where hundreds of permanent jobs will be created.

“Dedicated comprehensive job support, including opportunities for retraining, for all employees affected will also be implemented in the very active Luton area, just one mile from the international airport. At the same time, Stellantis will work with local government and local employers to identify new employment opportunities within the Luton area for Stellantis employees who might be impacted by this proposal if it goes ahead.”

A Government spokesman said: “While it’s encouraging to see Stellantis investing in the future of its Ellesmere Port plant, we know this will be a concerning time for the families of employees at Luton who may be affected.

“We have a longstanding partnership with Stellantis and we will continue to work closely with them, as well as trade unions and local partners on the next steps of their proposals.

“The Government is also backing the wider industry with over £300 million to drive uptake of zero emission vehicles and £2 billion to support the transition of domestic manufacturing.”

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