Vauxhall Celebrates 60 Years In Ellesmere Port Ahead Of £100 Million Transformation

Vauxhall has celebrated 60 years of manufacturing at its Ellesmere Port plant, which will be transformed into the first Stellantis plant to produce solely battery-electric models by the end of the year for a £100 million investment.

Ellesmere Port first opened its doors in 1962 as a Vauxhall Viva assembly plant.

It has since produced the Chevette as well as successive generations of the Vauxhall and Opel Astra.

Over the last 60 years, more than 5.2 million vehicles have rolled off the production lines in Ellesmere Port.

The achievement comes as Ellesmere Port prepares for a £100 million upgrade to become the first Stellantis plant to produce solely battery-electric vehicles beginning early next year.

The Vauxhall Combo-e and its Opel counterpart, as well as Peugeot e-Partner and Citroen e-Berlingo vans, will be among the first electric vehicles produced at Ellesmere when it reopens.

Ellesmere Port will also manufacture passenger vehicles for Stellantis brands such as the Vauxhall Combo-e Life, Opel Combo-e Life, Peugeot e-Rifter, and Citroen -Berlingo MPVs.

Paul Willcox, managing director, Vauxhall, and senior vice-president, Stellantis, said: "Over the last 60 years, Ellesmere Port has become one of the great British car plants, producing some of the most popular cars on the roads across generations.

"With one era closing, we’re now looking forward to an all-new electric era at Ellesmere, with the site becoming the first Stellantis plant to produce solely electric vehicles.