Stellantis has announced its intention to close a factory in Luton, north of London, to concentrate production in Ellesmere Port, located 300 kilometers away in northern England, which may lead to the elimination of hundreds of jobs.
This reorganization announced by Stellantis, involving an investment of €60 million, aims to strengthen the Ellesmere Port factory, where the automotive group invested €120 million in 2021 to transform that unit into a factory exclusively producing electric commercial vehicles.
Currently, the Ellesmere Port factory is the first and only high-volume electric vehicle production facility in the UK, where light commercial vehicles such as the Citroën ë-Berlingo, Vauxhall Combo Electric, Opel Combo Electric, Peugeot E-Partner, and Fiat Professional E-Doblo are produced.
The Luton unit that Stellantis plans to close employs over 1,100 workers; however, the group has already stated in a press release that “Stellantis remains committed to acting responsibly towards its employees in Luton and, if the company’s proposal is approved, will offer relocation support to facilitate the transfer of employees to the Ellesmere Port factory with attractive assistance, where hundreds of permanent jobs will be created”.
Furthermore, Stellantis is committed to “working with the government and local employers to identify new job opportunities in the Luton area for employees affected by the proposed reorganization now announced, should it proceed”.
