Stellantis Ellesmere Port EV Conversion
Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, UK · 2021-Present (initial conversion 2021-2022, ongoing expansion) · £150m (total, £100m initial, £50m additional in 2026)
The judgement call
Account-gated at launchThe initial £100 million investment secured the future of the plant, which had been producing Vauxhall cars since 1985, demonstrating a commitment to UK manufacturing. - The plant became the UK's first EV-only volume manufacturing plant, setting a precedent for future conversions. - Further investment of £50 million in 2026 for additional electric van models highlights the ongoing evolution and adaptation required in EV manufacturing and the need for continuous investment.
Key engineering challenges
Transforming an existing internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle plant into a dedicated EV production facility. - Integrating new assembly lines and manufacturing processes for electric powertrains and batteries. - Retraining and upskilling the workforce for EV manufacturing. - Ensuring efficient production of multiple electric vehicle models on the same line.
Project facts
- Client / owner
- Stellantis
- Lead contractor
- —
- Lead designers
- —
- Project type
- upgrade
- Scale
- First Stellantis plant to produce solely battery-electric models (commercial and passenger versions); production of multiple electric van models.
- Disciplines
- electrical; mechanical; process; systems; civil; structural
- Standards & frameworks
- —
Sources: Stellantis Press Release (July 2021, https://www.stellantis.com/en/news/press-releases/2021/july/ellesmere-port-will-support-sustainable-mobility-through-the-production-of-an-all-electric-vehicle-starting-in-2022) - Top Gear (Sep 2023, https://www.topgear.com/car-news/electric/stellantis-switches-ellesmere-port-factory-build-purely-electric-vehicles) - Automotive Manufacturing Solutions (Jun 2025, https://www.automotivemanufacturingsolutions.com/news/stellantis-appoints-fernando-andreu-to-lead-ev-manufacturing-expansion-at-ellesmere-port/545288) - BusinessGreen (Mar 2026, https://www.businessgreen.com/news/4526662/reports-stellantis-plans-50m-electric-van-investment-ellesmere-port-factory)