LONDON, July 6, 2021 (AFP) – European carmaker Stellantis announced Tuesday that it will keep the brand’s Vauxhall plant in northern England and turn it into the group’s first unit that produces electric-only cars.
The group, which was set up in January after the merger of France’s PSA and Italy’s Fiat, announced it would invest 100 million pounds ($138 million) in the plant with the help of the British government.
The facility, located in Ellesmere Port, England, has over 1,000 employees.
“Today’s decision will not only propel the Port of Ellesmere into a clean future, but will also secure thousands of jobs across the region in the supply network,” said British Projects Minister Kwasi Quarting.
Stellantis has become the world’s fourth largest automaker by volume after merging the PSA, Peugeot and Citroën brands with Fiat, Chrysler, Jeep and Maserati, among others.
Vauxhall, along with Opel, joined PSA in 2017 after purchasing subsidiary General Motors Europe.
Starting next year, the Ellesmere Port plant will produce an electric truck and car for both the Citroën, Opel, Peugeot and Vauxhall brands for sale in the UK and abroad.
bcp-acc / tjc / fp
