Vauxhall has confirmed its Ellesmere Port plant will become global giant Stellantis’ first dedicated electric van production facility.

Ellesmere Port will produce battery electric vans for Vauxhall, along with partner Stellantis brands Opel, Peugeot and Citroen.

The future of the site, which currently produces the Vauxhall Astra, has been secured with £100m investment from Stellantis and further backing from the UK government.

Stellantis bosses say Ellesmere Port will now become a pivotal factory in further boosting its leading commercial vehicle position in Europe.

The factory, which will become Stellantis’ first pure electric facility, will also produce passenger versions of each brand’s models.

Bosses praised a “collaborative process between the company and the Unite union”, along with the workforce’s “drive to transform their plant”.

Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares specifically “wanted to thank our highly skilled, dedicated workforce for their patience and contribution; we never let them down. 

“Performance is always the trigger for sustainability and this £100million investment demonstrates our commitment to the UK and to Ellesmere Port.

“Producing battery electric vehicles here will support clean, safe and affordable mobility for the citizens. Since 1903, Vauxhall has manufactured vehicles in Britain, and we will continue to do so.”

Ellesmere Port will mark 60 years in 2022; it opened in 1962 and the first car, the Viva, was produced in 1964. Since then, it has produced more than 5.2 million vehicles.

Production of the new electric vans will begin in late 2022.

Carbon neutral

Planned upgrades for Ellesmere Port include a new body shop and upgraded vehicle assembly area. There will also be an on-site battery pack.

The firm will also work to make the site carbon-neutral by 2025 – and intends for it to be 100 percent self-sufficient for electricity with the addition of new wind and solar farms.

Stellantis admits the overall site area will be compressed – but does intend to consult on further investment with the creation of a new UK parts distribution centre.

Business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said Stellantis’ decision to “double down on their commitment to this site is a clear vote of confidence in the UK as one of the best locations globally for competitive, high-quality automotive production.

“Today’s decision will not only power Ellesmere Port into a clean future, but will secure thousands of jobs across the region.”

Ellesmere Port new EVs

The new EVs will have a 136hp electric motor and 50kWh battery, giving a 174-mile driving range.

Using a 100kW charger, they will recharge from 0 percent to 80 percent in 30 minutes.

The van versions will help support growing demand for zero-emission urban deliveries, while the passenger versions will seat up to seven.

So far in 2021, the best-selling vehicle in Britain is a van, and Vauxhall is the UK’s best-selling EV commercial vehicle brand.

Market leader Ford has yet to launch a fully electric version of its best-selling Transit range.

Vans

• Vauxhall Combo-e
• Opel Combo-e
• Peugeot e-Partner
• Citroen e-Berlingo

Passenger cars

• Vauxhall Combo-e Life
• Opel Combo-e Life
• Peugeot e-Rifter
• Citroen e-Berlingo

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June 2021 used car prices in record rise

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The average price of a used car in June 2021 was £14,276 – a record year-on-year rise of 11.1 percent.

What’s more, the pace of price growth is increasing, with June figures alone increasing 8.1 percent from May, setting another record in the process.

Auto Trader says the latest data marks 15 consecutive months of used car price rises and is due to ‘huge levels’ of consumer demand.

Compared to the pre-pandemic month of June 2019, the number of people searching for used cars on Auto Trader went up by a third. Consumers also spent 25 percent more time looking for second-hand vehicles on the platform than in 2019.

Despite rising prices, cars are selling more quickly, too – an average of 23 days in June 2019. Two years ago, cars took a working week longer to leave retailer forecourts.  

‘High demand will continue’

“Whilst supply constraints have compounded the situation, this massive acceleration in used car prices is being driven by record levels of demand in the market,” said Auto Trader data and insight director Richard Walker.

“We’ve barely started to catch back the 1.7 million ‘lost’ transactions in 2020 while retailer showrooms were closed.

Coupled with the strong levels of disposable income and savings, as well as improving consumer confidence and low interest rates, we can expect very high demand to continue for the rest of this year.”

Price rises will eventually begin to ease, added Mr. Walker… but not yet.

“The steep trajectory we’ve been recording will begin to balance out as pressure on supply chains eases and the current levels of demand soften. However, we have every confidence we’ll see strong levels of price growth for a good period of time to come.”

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Scrapping VAT on the sale of new electric cars would be the most effective policy in boosting EV uptake, a new survey has revealed.

Two in three motorists say cutting 20 percent VAT from the purchase price would be the most helpful move – with particular support amongst low income households.

Indeed, support for scrapping VAT on new EVs has actually grown since the AA last surveyed motorists back in 2019.

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Other policies supported by motorists to help move away from petrol and diesel cars include rolling out more rapid charging connectors, free EV parking and a scrappage scheme similar to the one introduced in 2008.

‘Go all in for EVs’

“If the Prime Minister is to meet the nation’s decarbonisation and Net Zero targets, then the government needs to go all-in for electric vehicles,” said AA president Edmund King.

“Many drivers still feel priced out of the electric car market, so more has to be done to encourage their uptake. Scrapping VAT, as happened in Norway, is the best way to accelerate their growth and give consumers confidence.

“As the UK looks to ‘level up’, we urge the Prime Minister and the Chancellor to act positively.”

Separate analysis from trade body the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders indicates that scrapping VAT on new EV sales could see them overtake petrol and diesel cars as soon as 2025.

This would be three years earlier than if the government continues with its less generous £2,500 Plug-in Car Grant for cars priced under £35,000.

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The Tesla Model 3 ended another quarter topping the UK monthly new car registrations. However, industry analysts are warning the global shortage of semiconductor chips risks squeezing the post-coronavirus recovery.

A total of 186,128 new cars were registered in June 2021, up 28 percent on the Covid-hit 2020 market.

However, this is still 16.4 percent behind the 10-year June average, while year-to-date sales are a whopping 26.8 percent below the decade-long average.

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders says this is due to the ongoing global semiconductor shortage, which is acting as a limiting factor on supply.

Indeed, second-quarter new car registrations actually fell short of industry expectations due to dwindling new car supplies.

Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said: “With the final phases of the UK’s vaccine rollout well underway and confidence increasing, the automotive sector is now battling against a ‘long Covid’ of vehicle supply challenges.

“The semiconductor shortages arising from Covid-constrained output globally are affecting vehicle production, disrupting supply on certain models and restricting the automotive recovery.”

Embracing EV

UK new car buyers continue to embrace electric cars. A combination of battery electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids accounted for 17.2 percent of new car registrations – with pure electric cars alone compromising more than one in 10 sales.

Pure diesel cars took a paltry 8.1 percent market share; add in mild hybrid diesels, and it increases to 14.2 percent – still behind the combination of BEVs and PHEVs.

Every vehicle sector apart from executive cars and MPVs grew in June. The SMMT says the strongest growth was in the city car segment.

Superminis made up 34.1 percent of all new car registrations, followed by family hatchbacks and SUVs.

June 2021 best-selling new cars

1: Tesla Model 3

2: Ford Fiesta

3: Volkswagen Golf

4: Mercedes-Benz A-Class

5: Ford Puma

6: Nissan Qashqai

7: Kia Sportage

8: Volkswagen Polo

9: BMW 3 Series

10: Toyota Yaris

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The European Commission has dropped a requirement for UK motorists driving abroad to carry a car insurance Green Card.

The obligation has been waived and is expected to come into effect within weeks.

A Green Card is an internationally recognised certificate of insurance. It proves a visiting motorist has at least the minimum compulsory third-party liability car insurance.

Green cards are issued by car insurance companies and typically last for 90 days.

The EU required all UK motorists travelling to another EU country – including the Republic of Ireland – to apply for a Green Card.

Experts are keen to remind motorists the requirement has not yet been lifted, however, so motorists planning to travel into Europe this month will still need to apply for a Green Card before doing so.

This includes the Republic of Ireland and all other EU countries, plus the following non-EU countries: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland, Serbia and Andorra.

A pragmatic approach

The Association of British Insurers has praised the ‘pragmatic’ approach by the European Commission.

“UK drivers will no longer need to apply for a Green Card through their insurer which will help reduce bureaucracy for drivers and road hauliers travelling between the UK and EU,” said director general, Huw Evans.

“It will be especially welcomed by motorists in Northern Ireland driving across the border.”

The Motor Insurers’ Bureau of Ireland has also praised the decision after lobbying to remove the requirement.

There are 43 million cross-border trips on the island of Ireland each year and chief executive David Fitzgerald says the situation wasn’t sustainable: “There are approximately 25,000 who live on one side of the border and who regularly commute to the other jurisdiction.”

Admiral car insurance’s Clare Egan said that “although the decision is yet to take effect, it’s a welcome change that will hopefully be rubber stamped by the European Union soon, so that things are a little less complicated for Brits who are still hoping for a getaway this year, but who would prefer to drive to Europe instead of flying there”.

In a normal year, it’s estimated there are around 13 million visits to the EU each year from UK motorists, either via sea ports or the Channel Tunnel.

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Electric car drivers will make up a growing proportion of motorway service area users as the ban on new petrol and diesel cars from 2030 approaches.

By 2030, Moto chief executive Ken McMeikan predicts EVs will make up nearly a third of motorway service station visitors, as motorists become reliant on them to charge up their EVs during long journeys.

He says this is proof of how electric car owners will become used to the idea of driving long distances in EVs and grabbing a fast-charge battery boost en route.

To meet expected demand, Moto is investing in 350kW DC ultra-rapid chargers at all its 45 locations across the UK motorway network.

These will add up to 100 miles of range in 10 minutes.

Rugby Services is the first Moto site to benefit from the long-term investment drive. It was officially opened by Secretary of State for Transport Rachel Maclean MP, who unveiled a plaque at the site.

The £40 million site has created 120 jobs – and currently claims to be the UK’s flagship EV site with 24 ultra-rapid charging points: 12 Tesla and 12 Electric Highway.

It is the largest ultra-rapid EV charging site on the UK motorway network.  

Three more Moto motorway service areas will be fitted out with 24 ultra-rapid EV charging points by the end of 2021.

All existing 50 kW chargers will be upgraded by the end of this month, and there will be a minimum of six ultra-rapid chargers at all Moto sites by the end of 2022.

Rachel Maclean MP said: “I’m proud to open the largest ultra-rapid charging site on UK motorways.

“As we accelerate towards net zero emissions by 2050, we announced last November that we’re bringing forward the phase-out of new petrol and diesel cars to 2030 – and allowing high-performing hybrids until 2035.

“This zero-emission future will need a world-leading electric vehicle charging network. Rugby Services and Moto’s long-term plan and investment in EV is a perfect example of that in action.”

More than three million people are predicted to use Moto Rugby services annually.

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