Birthday boost for van maker Vauxhall as car giant Stellantis reveals new Vivaro to be made in Luton

Carmaker Stellantis has provided a birthday present to the workers at its British vehicle factory in Luton.

The multi-national car giant, which was formed from the merger of Fiat Chrysler and the French PSA Group, confirmed plans to bring electric vehicle production to its Bedfordshire plant from next year.

The firm - the world's fourth-largest automaker by sales - said on Thursday that it would begin building all-electric medium vans at the site in limited numbers from next spring.

The plant will become Stellantis’s second UK site manufacturing electric vehicles, after lines began running at Ellesmere Port last year.

Rachel Hopkins, Labour MP for Luton South, described the announcement as "brilliant news".

She said: "Building electric vans at Vauxhall will safeguard good local jobs and mean the plant continues to have a positive impact on our local economy."

The development is seen as a key milestone in the company’s ambitious plans which eventually lead to the electrification of all of Stellantis’s van production sites across Europe.

At the Luton factory, the outfit will make the fully electric Vauxhall Vivaro Electric, Opel Vivaro Electric, Peugeot E-Expert, Citroen e-Dispatch and Fiat Professional E-Scudo in right- and left-hand-drive formats.

The announcement was made to coincide with the plant’s 120th birthday, having opened in 1904.

Mark Noble, Luton plant director, said: “I’m pleased to announce 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 of Stellantis UK, added: “While this decision demonstrates Stellantis’s confidence in the plant, this first step in its redevelopment 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.”

Stellantis said that Vauxhall, Peugeot, Citroen and Fiat Professional are currently the only mainstream automotive brands to produce vans in the UK.

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