Stellantis plans to close Vauxhall Luton plant

Stellantis wants to move production to Ellesmere Port and says the move could lead to greater efficiencies

VW is not the only carmaker considering factory closures, with Stellantis having proposed consolidating its manufacturing footprint in the UK. As part of this effort, the company hopes to close the Luton plant, marking the end of 120 years of production since Vauxhall first built the factory in 1905.

This is a significant reversal because in February this year, Stellantis announced plans to build the Citroën ë-Dispatch, Peugeot E-Expert, Fiat Professional E-Scudo, Opel Vivaro Electric and Vauxhall Vivaro Electric in Luton from spring 2025. , the company hopes to consolidate production at Ellesmere Port.

More: Stellantis’ Ellesmere Port plant pivots to electric future, focusing on van production

Under the new plans, Stellantis will invest £500,000 ($62.7/€5988) to transform Ellesmere Port into a “fully electric, sustainable automotive hub”. This will enable the plant to build the aforementioned vehicles – Citroën ë-Berlingo, Peugeot E-Partner, Fiat Professional E-Doblo, Opel Combo Electric and Vauxhall Combo Electric – in addition to the already assembled minivans.

Stellantis said the move could improve production efficiency and support its goal of becoming the world’s largest light commercial vehicle manufacturer. The carmaker went on to point to other benefits, including Ellesmere Port’s proximity to a recently completed parts distribution centre.

While nothing is set in stone yet, Stellantis has begun discussions with employees and their unions about the proposal. The carmaker said it was “committed to its employees in Luton” and would offer attractive relocation packages to those wanting to move to Ellesmere Port. The company noted that hundreds of permanent jobs would be created there if their proposals were approved.

However, if this happens, everyone will not take action. Stellantis is aware of this and has committed to “providing comprehensive job support to all affected employees, including opportunities for retraining.” The automaker has also pledged to work with other parties to find new employment opportunities for affected workers .