By FREDA LEWIS-STEMPEL
Car giant Stellantis has opened a new vehicle parts distribution centre in Ellesmere Port just months after it closed Vauxhall's van factory in Luton, putting more than 1,100 jobs at risk.
The parts centre will become the vehicle component hub for 10 Stellantis-owned brands across the UK and Ireland. It will streamline the company's supply chain, delivering approximately four million parts per year.
Of the 240 staff on site, 200 are new jobs for the region. This is on top of the 1,100 people Stellantis already employs in the Cheshire town.
The enormous 60,000 square metre warehouse - which is equivalent to the size of nine football pitches - sits adjacent to the company's electric van factory, the first dedicated mass-production site for EVs in Britain since its conversion in 2023.
The auto firm invested £100million into the 60-year-old car factory - which previously assembled Astra family hatchbacks - to 'strengthen' its commercial vehicle manufacturing operations in Britain.
It comes after Stellantis shuttered the doors of its Luton van factory on 28 March. Some of its 1,100 Bedfordshire workforce were offered roles at Ellesmere instead, which is some 150 miles away.
Stellantis UK has opened a new Parts Distribution Centre at Ellesmere Port, after the closure of its Luton van factory in March. It will supply up to four million parts a year
Stellantis, which owns Peugeot, Citroen, Vauxhall and Fiat, employs over 5,000 people in the UK and is Britain's biggest van manufacturer.
Andy Kite, parts and service director at Stellantis UK, said: 'The opening of our new UK Parts Distribution Centre enables us to enhance our aftersales service.
'Its central location offers improved UK coverage and delivery times, with the ability to deliver parts to repairers for the next working day – ensuring the shortest possible wait time for customers.
'With all our brands under one roof, from long-established names like Vauxhall to newer brands like [Chinese EV newcomer] Leapmotor, Stellantis customers benefit from the reassurance of knowing they can quickly access the parts they need.'
The centre employs 243 members of staff - 200 being new jobs - operating over two shifts five days per week, distributing up to 140,000 parts housed in the building and supplying 19 regional hubs. It's size is equivalent to nine football pitches
The last Stellantis van rolled off the Luton production line in March marking the end of 120 years of manufacturing
Stellantis' decision to shutter Luton's 100-year-old factory put 1,100 jobs at risk. Staff at the Bedfordshire site were offered roles at the Ellesmere Port plant, though this is 150 miles away
The opening of the Ellesmere Port parts centre follows the transformation of the nearby vehicle manufacturing plant.
The former car factory originally opened in 1964, producing Vauxhall Vivas. But in more recent years became the home of the Astra, with production of Vauxhall-badged models for the UK market and left-hand-drive Opels in mainland Europe.
When production of the latest Astra was moved to Germany, the UK car factory was converted into the nation's first EV-only volume manufacturing site in 2023.
A year later in November 2024, the company announced it would be closing its 100-year-old Luton van factory to shift all manufacturing to the refurbished Cheshire site.
Despite opposing calls with unions dubbing it a 'slap in the face' for the people of Luton, Stellantis pushed ahead with its closure, transferring all van manufacturing - and some staff - to the North West town.
The parts distribution centre is the first UK warehouse to achieve outstanding BREEAM accreditation, the world-leading sustainability assessment method for the built environment and infrastructure
The enormous 60,000 square metre parts warehouse sits adjacent to the company's electric van factory (pictured), the first dedicated mass-production site for EVs in Britain since its conversion in 2023
The new parts distribution centre is the latest consolidation of Stellantis' EV ambitions in the UK - part of its strategy to globally sell 75 EV models by 2030.
In 2024, Stellantis saw a significant increase in battery vehicle sales, particularly in the UK, where it was the leading electric van manufacturer and took 10 per cent of the electric car market.
Keeping with this zero emission mindset, Stellantis says the parts centre was designed with sustainability at the forefront.
It can harvest up to 7,000 litres of water through a storage tank, there are 32 EV charging points, and LED lighting to lower energy usage.
It is the first UK warehouse to achieve outstanding BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) accreditation, the world-leading sustainability assessment method for the built environment and infrastructure.
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