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Electric boost for Vauxhall Luton
Date: Thursday, February 22, 2024 | Author: George Barrow
Vauxhall’s Luton plant has been confirmed as the manufacturing site for right-hand-drive versions of the Stellantis range of medium-sized electric vans.
Production will begin in the first half of 2025 in limited numbers alongside production of internal combustion engine (ICE) models. While the plant will mostly produce UK models, some left-hand-drive vehicles for export will also be produced to help meet the growing demand for electric vehicles.
Luton will produce the Vauxhall Vivaro Electric, Opel Vivaro Electric, Peugeot E-Expert, Citroën ë-Dispatch and Fiat Professional E-Scudo and joins Ellesmere Port as the second electric model manufacturing site for Stellantis vans in the UK.
Mark Noble, Luton plant director and Stellantis UK manufacturing lead, said: “Following the transformation of our Ellesmere Port facility to produce all-electric compact vans, I’m pleased to announce that we will commence limited production of our medium electric van in Luton from next year, when the first customer vehicles will roll off the production line. This is a fitting way to mark Luton’s 120th anniversary.”
Luton has been producing Vauxhall vehicles since 1905 and Vivaro vans since 2001. The plant also took on other model production shortly after the formation of the Stellantis group.
Maria Grazia Davino, group managing director, Stellantis UK, said: “Whilst this decision demonstrates Stellantis’ confidence in the plant, this first step in its re-development towards a fully-electric future requires the UK Government to stimulate more demand in the electric vehicle market and support manufacturers that invest in the UK for a sustainable transition.”
Stellantis sold a combined 10,272 electric vans in the UK in 2023, 6402 of which were Vauxhalls.
Vauxhall was also the best-selling electric commercial vehicle manufacturer and the Vivaro Electric the number one electric van in the UK.
Despite Ellesmere Port becoming the first Stellantis site dedicated to electric vehicle manufacturing, producing a range of compact city vans, most of the group’s electric vehicle sales are of the mid-sized van destined for Luton. Last year, Luton produced more than 90,000 vans, all of which were ICE models.
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