Vauxhall owner Stellantis has announced it is to begin making electric vehicles at its factory in Luton.
The plans are expected to secure the long-term future of the plant and 1,500 jobs, following concerns last year about Brexit red tape.
The company said it would start production of its medium-sized Vivaro Electric van before summer 2025.
Electric models from other Stellantis brands, including Citroën, Peugeot and Fiat, will also be built there.
Luton Vauxhall director Mark Noble said it was “a fitting way” to mark the facility’s 120th anniversary.
It follows the start of electric vehicle production at the firm’s Ellesmere Port factory in Cheshire last year, where the Vauxhall Combo Electric is being built.
IMAGE SOURCE,PA MEDIAMaria Grazia Davino, group managing director of Stellantis UK, said the decision demonstrated the company’s confidence in its Luton base.
“This first step in its redevelopment towards a fully electric future requires the UK government to stimulate more demand in the electric vehicle market and support manufacturers that invest in the UK for a sustainable transition,” she said.
The Luton factory opened in 1905, with the first commercial vehicles being assembled there in 1932.
Panel vans “VYC” and “VXC” were the first vans to roll off the production line.
