Inside the transformed Ellesmere Port as it begins EV production

Stellantis’s first factory dedicated to producing only EVs was theirs. A little over two years later, as you’re reading this, they will have just started official production of the Citroën ë-Berlingo, Fiat E-Doblò, Opel Combo-e, Peugeot e-Partner and Vauxhall Combo Electric.

I visit the plant as unofficial production ends and all 1000 production and support staff are waiting for the green light to begin building in earnest. It’s a couple of weeks since the factory reopened after the summer shutdown. The unofficial production period is a chance to test systems and procedures and get everyone up to speed.

They’ve been busy. My visit coincides with the 489th vehicle, a Combo-e, coming off the line. It will join the others out on test and with customers aware that they’re running early production vehicles and happy to provide feedback.

“We’re feeling positive,” says quality operations supervisor Pete Mort, who has worked at Ellesmere Port for 25 years. “We’ve come on in leaps and bounds in recent months. Now we need volume to allow the guys to get into a build rhythm so that everything becomes second nature.”

He likes how Stellantis does things: “The managers who come over are hands-on and checking we’re hitting our benchmarks, but they give us a degree of autonomy too, which gives us the responsibility to go the extra mile. We’re definitely in a position to go for SOP [start of production].”

 An internal memo on a notice board at the end of the production line confirms it. It quotes a visiting manager saying he was very happy with everyone’s ability to deliver results and that he understood why Tavares had “invested in Ellesmere Port and the people”.

That should encourage them – not that shift manager Steve Jebb, or Jebber to his workmates, needs much more of that. With a handshake that crushes my knuckles, he welcomes me to the production floor and, with an expansive sweep of his arm, summarises its transformation.

“The general assembly area is new and much more compact and efficient, with each line feeding the other,” he says.

“There’s a new monorail production line with cradles that raise and carry the van bodies to the powertrain and running gear for fitment from below. There’s a new injection-moulding machine making bumpers and the press shop is busy producing panels.”

Production volumes and quality aside, these last two processes are key to Ellesmere Port’s future. The fact is that there’s a rather large elephant on the factory floor in the shape of tough new UK and EU rules of origin, due to come into force in January.

In short, from that month and until 1 January 2027, 45% of an EV’s parts and 60% of its battery must originate from the vehicle’s country of production. If not, the vehicle will be hit with a 10% tariff.

Stellantis was one of the first manufacturers to flag up the consequences of the new rules, warning that if the cost of EV production in the UK becomes uncompetitive and unsustainable, “operations will close”. In common with other firms and the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, it’s urging law makers on both sides of the Channel to delay implementation of the rules until at least 2027, giving them time to establish local supply arrangements.

Miller (pictured below, left) is in no doubt about the seriousness of the situation and is preparing for whatever happens. “The pressure is on to source from home, so we’re trying to localise as many parts here as possible,” she says. 

“It helps that coiled steel is exempt from the rules, so we bring it in but stamp the panels here. Our new injection-moulding machine is another big investment that boosts our local content. Together, it and the new dies for the press shop cost £21m. Our batteries come from China, however – that’s a problem. We need to build them here, but it would be expensive to build a [battery] plant. We need government support or to combine with other car makers in the same position.”

It seems a good moment to visit the battery shop alongside the production line, although I can’t venture too far into it, owing to safety rules. Short of making the cells and the 18 modules into which they’re packed and which comprise each 50kWh battery, they do everything else here at Ellesmere Port.

Work begins with testing the modules before then packing them into the alloy case and attaching the busbars that connect the modules to each other. The case is then sealed and pressure-tested for leaks.

“Safety and integrity are paramount,” says Michael McGrath, centre shop supervisor and the third generation of his family to work here. “Once fitted, nothing should be able to get into or out of the battery.”

To make doubly sure, the team has devised a process for securing the battery case that ensures every last nut and bolt is accounted for.

‘Broduction’ is always a step ahead of vehicle production, so that there are no delays on the line. Each 330kg battery is conveyed on AGVs (autonomous guided vehicles) to its fitting station, where it joins the electric motor, which is ‘dressed’ at Ellesmere Port with its control unit and cables, and the steering, regenerative braking and suspension systems, before the lot proceeds to the ‘marriage’ area and the monorail for fitting to the body, already painted and dressed elsewhere in the plant. With the wheels attached, another new electric van heads to quality control who, as Jebb says, “are our customers. Any faults they find, we have to fix out of our resource – so as you can imagine, we like to get it right first time.”