Stellantis marks 60 years of vehicle production at Ellesmere Port

Since staring production in June 1964 Ellesmere Port has built almost 6m vehicles, including some well-known models under the Vauxhall brand, such as the Viva, Chevette and seven generations of the Astra.

The plant has seen considerable change over the intervening years. For example, in 1970 Ellesmere Port occupied more than 350,000 sq.m, but has since undergone several key changes, including the addition of a battery assembly shop, upgraded general assembly and relocation of the bodyshop. The company notes this has contributed to a 60% reduction of the total site area for improved energy efficiency and productivity. Now, at 118,000 sq.m, the entire plant is a similar size to the previous bodyshop.

In 2023, following a £100m investment to transform the plant for EV production, Ellesmere Port started production of the company’s all-electric small van range, producing the Vauxhall/Opel Combo Electric, Citroën ë-Berlingo, Fiat e-Doblò and Peugeot E-Partner models. From next year, Stellantis’ Luton plant will begin producing medium electric vans for Vauxhall, Opel, Citroën, Peugeot and Fiat Professional.

Diane Miller, Ellesmere Port plant director, and winner of the Autocar Great Women Manufacturing award said: “We are excited to mark such an impressive milestone, celebrating production that began sixty years ago with the Viva, and now continues into the future with electric vans from Fiat, Citroën, Peugeot, Opel and Vauxhall. For six decades, Ellesmere Port has been a central pillar of the local area, and whose people have continually taken great pride in their work at the plant to provide millions of vehicles for the UK and beyond and now continue to do so in the transition to a more sustainable future.”

Maria Grazia Davino, Group Managing Director, Stellantis UK, remarked: “It is gratifying to celebrate six decades of vehicle production at Ellesmere Port, which continues to produce the latest generation of electric vans. Stellantis is the only OEM producing vans, including electric vans, in volume in the UK, and I would like to share my congratulations to the employees at the plant, who continue to work incredibly hard to produce the vehicles that will help to electrify businesses across the UK and in the more than 20 countries to which we export electric vans.”