![Stellantis to start electric van production at UK Luton plant in 2025](https://i-invdn-com.investing.com/trkd-images/LYNXNPEK1L06K_L.jpg)
© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: A display screen shows the corporate emblem for Stellantis N.V. on the ground on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., January 31, 2024. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo
By Nick Carey
LONDON (Reuters) – Stellantis (NYSE:) stated on Thursday it is going to launch manufacturing of medium-sized electrical vans in 2025 at its Luton plant in England, offering some long-term certainty for a manufacturing unit that has been producing vans for 92 years.
The world’s fourth-largest automaker by gross sales stated beginning within the spring subsequent 12 months Luton will produce 5 electrical fashions together with the Vauxhall Vivaro Electric, Peugeot (OTC:) E-Expert and Fiat Professional E-Scudo in each right- and left-hand drive variations.
Stellantis already makes small electrical vans at its different UK plant in Ellesemere Port.
The automaker stated the Luton plant may also proceed to make combustion engine fashions. It didn’t say what kind of funding producing the brand new electrical fashions would require.
Existing automotive meeting vegetation throughout Europe making fossil-fuel fashions have been vying for future electrical fashions to maintain them open past an efficient European Union ban on combustion-engine vehicles comes into impact in 2035.
Stellantis’ announcement comes after Nissan (OTC:) stated in November it will make investments 1.12 billion kilos ($1.41 billion) to construct two electrical fashions at its UK plant and India’s Tata Group stated final July it will construct a 4 billion pound EV battery plant in Britain to provide its Jaguar Land Rover vegetation.
“This is a further vote of confidence in the UK economy and exciting news that shows our plan for the auto industry is working,” UK trade minister Nusrat Ghani stated in a press release.
As EV gross sales have cooled, Britain’s auto trade has referred to as on the UK to subsidize purchases to encourage extra shoppers and companies to change to electrical.
“Whilst this decision demonstrates Stellantis’ confidence in the plant, this… 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’ UK group managing director Maria Grazia Davino stated in a press release.
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