3 minute read - 23rd February 2024
Stellantis to build electric vans in Luton from 2025
Stellantis has announced that production of the Vauxhall Vivaro Electric will begin at its Luton manufacturing facility from the first half of 2025.
Limited production of Vivaro Electric, and its equivalent models from other Stellantis brands, will get underway during spring next year, making Luton the second Stellantis plant in the UK to manufacture electric vehicles.
This follows the start of EV production at Ellesmere Port in 2023 – the UK’s first electric-only volume manufacturing plant and the first Stellantis plant globally dedicated to electric vehicles. The Ellesmere Port plant produces the Vauxhall Combo Electric alongside its sister models. Luton is part of the transformation to electrification of all Stellantis sites producing vans in Europe.
Stellantis has announced that electric van production will begin at its Luton manufacturing facility from the first half of 2025 / Picture: Stellantis
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The Luton plant will produce the fully electric Vauxhall Vivaro Electric, Opel Vivaro Electric, Peugeot E-Expert, Citroën ë-Dispatch and Fiat Professional E-Scudo in both right and left-hand drive. The plant will manufacture predominantly for the UK right hand drive market but will also be able to export to left hand drive markets. Production of the equivalent internal combustion engine vans will continue alongside the electric versions.
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 will become the second Stellantis plant in the UK to manufacture electric vehicles, following the transformation of its Ellesmere Port site / Picture: Stellantis
Maria Grazia Davino, group managing director of Stellantis UK, added: “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 home to Vauxhall models for more than a century. The first commercial vehicles were assembled at the plant in 1932, with panel vans ‘VYC’ and ‘VXC’ the first vans to roll off the production line. Since then, Luton has continued to produce a range of popular commercial vehicles for Vauxhall. In 2001, production of the Vivaro began, which has recently had some major enhancements as part of a wider refresh of the entire Stellantis light commercial vehicle line-up. The plant also manufactures sister Stellantis models for Peugeot, Citroën, Opel and Fiat Professional.
Luton will produce the Vivaro Electric – Vauxhall’s medium-size electric van – alongside its sister versions from Citroën, Peugeot and FIAT Professional / Picture: Stellantis
Stellantis is Europe’s leading van manufacturer with 30.4% market share in 2023 and 38.8% of the European electric van market. In the UK, Stellantis represented 47.9% of the electric van market last year with Vauxhall as the best-selling manufacturer and the Vivaro Electric as the number one electric van in the UK. Vauxhall, Peugeot, Citroën and Fiat Professional are currently the only mainstream automotive brands to produce vans in the UK.
