Passenger cars will account for up to 40% of all vehicles manufactured at Vauxhall's Ellesmere Port plant by next year
Vauxhall makes bet on the return of passenger transport, once a family favorite that has been eclipsed by the SUV.
The company's Astra plant near Liverpool is due to start producing electric versions of the seven-seat cars next year. year in an attempt to win back drivers.
Passenger transport vehicles, also known as minivans, were among the most popular family vehicles in the 1990s and early 2000s.
As recently as 2016, AutoTrader reported that the Ford Galaxy was one of the most sought after vehicles. Used models have been the best-selling cars on the market for months on end.
However, in recent years, these comfortable and spacious family runabouts have fallen out of fashion, giving way to sportier SUV-style cars.
Ford ended production of the Galaxy earlier this year, and once popular passenger cars such as the Citroen Picasso, Vauxhall Zafira and Renault Scenic are no longer on the market as a result.
However, Vauxhall's Ellesmere Port plant management believes the cars should return.
The Astra plant will start full-scale car production on Thursday after a £100 million upgrade to enable it to produce electric vans.
The Astra plant will begin full-scale production of vehicles on Thursday.
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Vauxhall's plant in Ellesmere Port will produce 15 electric vehicles per hour, including all-electric vans. Credit: Peter Byrne/PA Wire
Plant manager Diane Miller said the plant will also produce passenger cars, with passenger cars accounting for up to 40% of all vehicles coming off the production line by next year.
< p>Ms. Miller insisted that the market for them still exists. workhorse models despite declining sales.
She said: “I think the market is made up of ordinary people for whom five-seat cars are simply not practical. If you have three kids, you can't take anyone with you.»
The car industry also «allows more of our people to drive,» she said.
in Ellesmere Port, owned by automotive giant Stellantis, which also owns Opel, Fiat, Peugeot and Citroen, has become the first major plant in the UK to go all-electric.
It ended production of the petrol-powered Astra. vehicle in April 2021 and will now produce the electric Vauxhall Combo, electric Opel Combo, Peugeot e-Partner and Citroen Berlingo.
These vans can be easily converted into passenger transport by adding seats, extra windows and other passenger comforts .
One of the first passenger carriers was Renault Espace, which appeared on the market in 1983. Sales in the UK ended in 2012, but the model is still popular in France.
Although overall sales have declined, passenger carriers, also known as multi-purpose vehicles (MPVs), are still popular with taxi drivers and large families.
These models are also preferred by wheelchair transport users due to their high ceilings and easier access.
From Thursday, Vauxhall's plant in Ellesmere Port will produce 15 electric vehicles per hour. Workers have been producing models in small batches in recent weeks, carefully checking the quality of the vans ahead of full production this week.
Ms Miller, a former Ford and Aston Martin executive, said she knew some buyers are concerned about the range of electric vehicles, she insisted that the demand is high.
She said: «At present, we cannot produce enough.»
The plant will work. two shifts per day, and if there is demand for left-hand drive models from Europe, this can be increased to three. Production could reach 75,000 a year.
In addition, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt on Thursday was preparing to open a new electric vehicle charging center large enough to charge 180 vehicles at once. Gigahub in Birmingham represents the largest private investment in an electric vehicle project in the UK, funded by NEC, EV Network and BP.
Mr Hunt said: “This pioneering facility will be a major transport hub of the future and marks a significant a step in rolling out electric vehicle charging infrastructure across the country.”
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