car
Vauxhall closes van factory – 1,100 jobs at risk
Car manufacturers are also coming under pressure in Great Britain. A company is taking tough action – and the government is partly to blame.
The British Opel sister company Vauxhall is closing its van factory in Luton near London. The move threatens 1,100 jobs. The parent company Stellantis announced that in return it would create hundreds of jobs at the Ellesmere Port factory and offer employees relocation packages.
The reason given was to consolidate British production of light commercial vehicles. A hub for fully electric, sustainable vehicles is to be created in Ellesmere Port near Liverpool. 50 million pounds (60 million euros) have been earmarked for this.
Vans with petrol and diesel engines are built in Luton. Production of a medium-sized electric van should begin in 2025.
The company blamed the move on British regulations intended to speed up the transition to electric vehicles. Manufacturers have to sell a certain percentage of emission-free cars and vans – this year the figure for van sales is 10 percent. Otherwise there is a risk of high fines.
Car manufacturers are increasingly critical of this and are calling for more government incentives to stimulate demand. Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds is expected to ease regulations soon under pressure from the industry.
In addition to Vauxhall and Opel, Stellantis also owns the brands Citroën, Peugeot and Fiat.
The German auto industry also recently announced tough measures. For Volkswagen, in addition to cutting tens of thousands of jobs, closing several plants is now an option on the way to economic stability.
dpa
Source: Stern
