London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, May 31, 2025

Vauxhall set to announce Ellesmere Port electric van

Vauxhall set to announce Ellesmere Port electric van

The owner of Vauxhall could announce as early as next week plans to build electric vans at its Ellesmere Port plant in Cheshire, the BBC understands.

The investment, said to be worth hundreds of millions of pounds, would safeguard about 1,000 factory jobs.

The future of the plant had been in doubt after Vauxhall's parent company, Stellantis, scrapped plans to build a new Astra model there.

Nissan this week said it will make new electric cars at its Sunderland plant.

Stellantis has been discussing options for the site with the UK government for several months, and is known to have been seeking financial support for its plans.

Sales of vans have been booming during the pandemic, as a result of growing home delivery sales.


Making vans may not be particularly glamorous, but right now it makes a lot of sense.

While car sales have been badly affected by the pandemic, demand for smaller commercial vehicles has been soaring, due to the home delivery boom. Fleet operators are increasingly turning to low-emission options because of the tax advantages they provide.

For Carlos Tavares, the pragmatic and outspoken CEO of Stellantis, it offers a useful compromise. He has been scathing about the UK government's plans to outlaw the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030 - accusing them of destroying his company's business model in the UK.

Now there is a new business model - and with Mr Tavares having previously made it clear that future production in the UK would depend on what support the government could offer, it's likely help from the taxpayer will be part of it.

Stellantis is the world's fifth-largest car maker and also owns Peugeot, Fiat and Chrysler.

The push into electric vehicle manufacturing has grown since the UK and other European countries announced a ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars as of 2030.

Nissan on Thursday announced a major expansion of electric vehicle production at its car plant in Sunderland which will create 1,650 new jobs.

The Japanese carmaker will build its new-generation all-electric model at the site as part of a £1bn investment that will also support thousands of jobs in the supply chain.

And Nissan's partner, Envision AESC, will build an electric battery plant.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Justice Department Reduces American Bar Association's Role in Judicial Nominations
U.S. Department of Energy Unveils 'Doudna' Supercomputer to Advance AI Research
U.S. SEC Dismisses Lawsuit Against Binance Amid Regulatory Shift
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
Italy Faces Population Decline Amid Youth Emigration
U.S. Goods Imports Plunge Nearly 20% Amid Tariff Disruptions
OpenAI Faces Competition from Cheaper AI Rivals
Foreign Tax Provision in U.S. Budget Bill Alarms Investors
Trump Accuses China of Violating Trade Agreement
Gerry Adams Wins Libel Case Against BBC
Russia Accuses Serbia of Supplying Arms to Ukraine
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
Chinese Woman Dies After Being Forced to Visit Bank Despite Critical Illness
President Trump Grants Full Pardons to Reality TV Stars Todd and Julie Chrisley
Texas Enacts App Store Accountability Act Mandating Age Verification
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Vatican Calls for Sustainable Tourism in 2025 Message
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Trump Threatens 25% Tariff on iPhones Amid Dispute with Apple CEO
Putin's Helicopter Reportedly Targeted by Ukrainian Drones
Liverpool Car Ramming Incident Leaves Multiple Injured
Australia Faces Immigration Debate Following Labor Party Victory
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
Macron Dismisses Viral Video of Wife's Gesture as Playful Banter
Cleveland Clinic Study Questions Effectiveness of Recent Flu Vaccine
Netanyahu Accuses Starmer of Siding with Hamas
Junior Doctors Threaten Strike Over 4% Pay Offer
Labour MPs Urge Chancellor to Tax Wealthy Over Cutting Welfare
Publication of UK Child Poverty Strategy Delayed Until Autumn
France Detains UK Fishing Vessel Amid Post-Brexit Tensions
Calls Grow to Resume Syrian Asylum Claims in UK
Nigel Farage Pledges to Reinstate Winter Fuel Payments
Boris and Carrie Johnson Welcome Daughter Poppy
×