• Vauxhall to fabricate Vivaro Electric at its Luton plant from 2025
• Luton will turn into second Stellantis plant in UK to fabricate electrical automobiles, following transformation of Ellesmere Port into the UK’s first EV-only quantity manufacturing plant the place the Combo Electric is made
• Luton to provide Vivaro Electric – Vauxhall’s medium-size electrical van – alongside its sister variations from Citroën, Peugeot and FIAT Professional
• Works are beginning in 2024 to arrange the plant for restricted manufacturing of medium electrical vans, alongside continued manufacturing of ICE vans
• Luton manufacturing plant first opened its doorways in 1905 and has been producing Vauxhall vans since 1932
• Stellantis is the one OEM producing vans in quantity within the UK
• Vauxhall is the UK’s primary electrical van model

Vauxhall has introduced that restricted manufacturing of its medium electrical van – Vivaro Electric – will start at its Luton manufacturing facility from the primary half of 2025.

Limited manufacturing of Vivaro Electric, and its equal fashions from different Stellantis manufacturers, will get underway throughout Spring subsequent yr, making Luton the second Stellantis plant within the UK to fabricate electrical automobiles (EV) and contributing to satisfy the rising demand for medium-sized electrical vans sooner or later.  This follows the beginning of EV manufacturing at Ellesmere Port in 2023 – the UK’s first electric-only quantity manufacturing plant – with the Vauxhall Combo Electric.  Luton is a part of the transformation to electrification of all Stellantis websites producing vans in Europe.

The Luton plant will produce the totally electrical Vauxhall Vivaro Electric, Opel Vivaro Electric, Peugeot E-Expert, Citroën ë-Dispatch and Fiat Professional E-Scudo in each proper and left-hand drive. The plant will manufacture predominantly for the UK Right Hand Drive market however can even have the ability to export to Left Hand Drive markets. Production of the equal inside combustion engine (ICE) vans will proceed alongside the electrical variations.

Mark Noble, Luton Plant Director & Stellantis UK Manufacturing Lead, stated: “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.”

Maria Grazia Davino, Group Managing Director, Stellantis UK, stated: “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.”

Opened in 1905, Luton has been residence to Vauxhall fashions for greater than a century. The first business automobiles have been assembled on the plant in 1932, with panel vans ‘VYC’ and ‘VXC’ the primary vans to roll off the manufacturing line.

Since then, Luton has continued to provide a spread of widespread business automobiles for Vauxhall. In 2001, manufacturing of the Vivaro started, which has just lately had some main enhancements as a part of a wider refresh of your entire Stellantis mild business car line-up. The plant additionally manufactures sister Stellantis fashions for Peugeot, Citroën, Opel and Fiat Professional.

Among the primary electrical automobiles to be produced at Luton, the New Vauxhall Vivaro Electric is powered by a 75kWh battery paired with a 100kW (136PS) electrical motor. It is able to as much as 217 miles of vary (WLTP), whereas a 5-80% cost could be accomplished in simply 45 minutes from a 100kW speedy charger.

Stellantis is Europe’s main van producer with 30.4% market share in 2023 and 38.8% of the European electrical van market.  In the UK, Stellantis represented 47.9% of the electrical van market final yr with Vauxhall because the best-selling producer and the Vivaro Electric because the primary electrical van within the UK. 

Vauxhall, Peugeot, Citroën and Fiat Professional are presently the one mainstream automotive manufacturers to provide vans within the United Kingdom. Alongside the Luton plant, they manufacture vans at Ellesmere Port, the UK’s first electrical vehicle-only quantity manufacturing plant and the primary Stellantis plant globally devoted to electrical automobiles.