Perseverance pays off
Autocar UK|September 13, 2023
Ellesmere Port looked set for closure amid Brexit, but the people there never gave up, earning the factory a new lease of life. John Evans visits as electric van making begins
John Evans
Perseverance pays off

In the shadow of the Stanlow oil refinery, visible from the M53 as the motorway passes through Ellesmere Port on its way to Liverpool, they're building the future - an electric future. Vauxhall began manufacturing cars here in 1964. It stopped doing so in April 2022. Now, less than 18 months later, following a £100 million refit, the factory has begun making electric vans for Stellantis's Citroën, Fiat, Opel, Peugeot and Vauxhall brands.

I've been coming to this region for all of my 63 years and know it for the 'Stanlow stench' of rotten eggs and the refinery's ghostly gas flares. But I know the people, too. Well, some of them. Like their neighbours farther down the Mersey, they're big-hearted and happy to roll up their sleeves when there's a job to be done. And there's a job to be done at this factory - to show their overlords that they can build and deliver electric vans to Stellantis's standards on time and on budget. If they can't, there are plenty of other plants elsewhere in Europe happy to do so for them. So far, the signs are promising.

"Right up until early 2021, as Astra production was drawing to a close, people here thought they had no future, but they didn't give up," recalls plant director Diane Miller. "They wanted job security for themselves and their families and also for their friends and neighbours elsewhere among our local suppliers. I've seen staff in other plants cave in and take the redundancy money. Not these people."

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة September 13, 2023 من Autocar UK.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة September 13, 2023 من Autocar UK.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

المزيد من القصص من AUTOCAR UK مشاهدة الكل
Poster car that went from rusty to trusty
Autocar UK

Poster car that went from rusty to trusty

One evening, two years ago, George Pappas was being driven down his local high street by a mate and mulling over whether to replace his Mk4 Golf diesel, a recent purchase that was boring him to death, when his girlfriend, also in the car, spotted an old BMW 3 Series at the side of the road with a 'for sale' sign in the window.

time-read
2 mins  |
November 13, 2024
THE SEVEN-SEATER THAT VOLVO DARE NOT KILL OFF
Autocar UK

THE SEVEN-SEATER THAT VOLVO DARE NOT KILL OFF

The current-gen XC90 has been on sale since 2015 for good reason

time-read
2 mins  |
November 13, 2024
GENESIS ELECTRIFIED G80
Autocar UK

GENESIS ELECTRIFIED G80

Where the story begins, in the Hyundai premium marque’s luxury saloon

time-read
4 mins  |
November 13, 2024
LEXUSLBX
Autocar UK

LEXUSLBX

Can you shrink premium quality to fit an SUV this small? We now know

time-read
4 mins  |
November 13, 2024
Rolls boss ready to 'define the next chapter'
Autocar UK

Rolls boss ready to 'define the next chapter'

Nine months into the job, Rolls-Royce CEO and car guy Chris Brownridge tells STEVE CROPLEY what he's learned and where the firm's heading

time-read
4 mins  |
November 13, 2024
Once more, with feeling
Autocar UK

Once more, with feeling

AC Cars' recreation of the classic MkII Cobra is at first glance a faithful facsimile of a 1960s performance benchmark. SIMON HUCKNALL drives it

time-read
7 mins  |
November 13, 2024
MERCEDES-BENZ CLE
Autocar UK

MERCEDES-BENZ CLE

Does a PHEV set-up work in a coupé that exudes such old-school vibes?

time-read
9 mins  |
November 13, 2024
ANALOGUE SUPERSPORT
Autocar UK

ANALOGUE SUPERSPORT

Lotus Elise specialist uprates 1990s icon with an eye on track days

time-read
4 mins  |
November 13, 2024
ALPINE A290
Autocar UK

ALPINE A290

The hot hatch is alive and well, and living in France. On both road and track, there's much to savour`

time-read
5 mins  |
November 13, 2024
UK HANGS ON TO OLD CARS
Autocar UK

UK HANGS ON TO OLD CARS

Average car age climbs as high prices dampen demand for new models

time-read
2 mins  |
November 13, 2024