Stellantis to build new generation of electric vans in the UK
Thu, 22 Feb 2024
Stellantis, the parent brand of Vauxhall along with Peugeot, Citroen, Fiat and American van brand Ram, has said it will start manufacturing medium sized electric models in Luton, for sale across the world, starting in 2025.
The company is set to announce an extensive refresh of its entire commercial vehicle range this year, and the Luton factory will be a focal point for the electrification of the Stellantis van range.
It will be the second plant in the UK to build electric vehicles for Stellantis following the conversion of Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, to become an electric-vehicle-only factory in 2023.
At present, Stellantis is the leading supplier of electric vans across Europe and the plug-in version of the Bedfordshire-built Vauxhall Vivaro is the most popular electric model in the UK, thanks in no small part to it being built in Britain.
The Luton plant will produce the fully electric Vauxhall Vivaro Electric, Opel Vivaro Electric, Peugeot E-Expert, Citroen e-Dispatch and Fiat Professional E-Scudo in both right and left-hand drive.
Production of the equivalent internal combustion engine (ICE) vans will continue alongside the electric versions for the forseeable future.
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.
