Factory closures highlight the turbulent shift to a green economy, exposing political challenges and the urgent need for a equitable move to net zero One of the biggest political battles of the future began to take shape in 2024, yet it did not centre on Westminster. Instead, try Grangemouth in central Scotland, Port Talbot in south Wales and Luton in the south of England. Their stories were not front-page staples, but each was of huge significance – locally, nationally and economically. Grangemouth is Scotland’s sole oil refinery, whose owners confirmed in September that it would shut, t ..read more

Electric Vehicles UK says hybrids without a plug should be banned or else confidence in electric cars will be damaged Britain needs to press ahead with a ban on the sale of new hybrid cars with no plug from 2030 or risk taking “a catastrophic misstep” on the road to net zero, ministers have been warned. Cars such as the Toyota Prius, which charge a battery from an internal combustion engine, need to be excluded from the list of vehicles sold in the UK from 2030 or there will be a “profound” fall in confidence in the government’s commitment to electric motoring, according to the representative ..read more

Firm rejects ruthless approach of former chief executive known for pushing for bigger profits Carlos Tavares is known as one of the most outspoken leaders in the car industry. Among the executive class, the former Stellantis chief executive is also considered to be one of the best drivers of its products on the track. He used a similarly hard-driving style in the board room, constantly pushing his managers and factories to deliver bigger profits. Yet after his enforced departure from the global carmaker, it appears Tavares may have been better off applying the brakes than charging ahead ..read more

The surprise relocation of the 120-year-old factory to Cheshire stands to end a proud part of Lutonian history “I don’t have anything good to say about this place right now,” someone shouts, as workers flood out of the front gates of the Vauxhall van plant on Luton’s Kimpton Road. It’s lunchtime on a crisp November day in the Bedfordshire town and the early shift has just finished at the plant, which can produce up to 100,000 vans each year ..read more

Exclusive: Stellantis executive’s recent comments to investors undermine claim Luton closure was down to emission mandate No need to mourn Just Eat’s exit from LSE The owner of Vauxhall told investors that it was “confident” it would meet the UK’s rules on electric vehicle sales just two months before it blamed them for the decision to close a factory in Luton, the Guardian can reveal. Stellantis cited the UK’s zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate when it announced the closure of its van factory in Bedfordshire on Tuesday, putting 1,100 workers at risk of redundancy or relocation to its facto ..read more

Stellantis says it will shift production from Bedfordshire to plant at Ellesmere Port, Cheshire Business live – latest updates The owner of Vauxhall has announced that it plans to close its van factory at Luton, in a decision that will put 1,100 jobs at risk of being cut or moving location despite the UK government preparing to relax rules on electric cars. Stellantis said it would shift van production from Luton, Bedfordshire, to another factory at Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, blaming the UK’s economic conditions and the government’s zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate ..read more

Owner of Fiat, Chrysler and Peugeot brands pushes back against rules that force sale of more electric vehicles Business live – latest updates The owner of car brands including Fiat, Chrysler and Peugeot has reported a steep fall in sales, blaming production delays and flagging European demand. Stellantis reported revenues on Thursday of €33bn (£27.6bn) for the July to September quarter, a drop of 27% compared with the same period a year earlier ..read more

Stellantis to rule on viability of Luton and Ellesmere Port sites ‘within year’ amid criticism over lack of government cooperation and sales incentives The owner of the Vauxhall, Peugeot and Citroën brands has warned its car plants in Ellesmere Port and Luton could close unless market demand for electric vehicles picks up and the UK loosens regulations. The UK managing director of Stellantis said the company did not want to shut operations in the UK but it would make a decision in “less than a year” in the face of unreasonable government sales quotas and the lack of consumer incentives in rela ..read more

Owner Stellantis’s decision to invest will safeguard 1,500 jobs at the factory Vauxhall’s owner, Stellantis, will make electric vans at its factory in Luton from 2025, helping to secure the future of 1,500 UK jobs at the plant. The Luton factory will produce medium-sized electric vans for the Vauxhall, Citroën, Peugeot and Fiat Professional brands, Stellantis announced on Thursday ..read more

Investment by Stellantis has turned the Vauxhall plant into the UK’s first dedicated to producing electric vehicles at scale In nearly 60 years of making cars Ellesmere Port’s Vauxhall factory had come close to the end several times, said the Unite union convener John Cooper, standing beside the body of an electric van on the production line. Last-minute negotiations saved the plant each time, but it was a close-run thing. Things have changed now: on Thursday the site began production as the UK’s first factory dedicated purely to producing electric vehicles at scale. It is a landmark moment in ..read more