Revolutionizing the Automotive Industry: The New Green Hub at Ellesmere Port

Yo, check it out! There’s a new Green Automotive Hub in the UK that’s gonna boost the Stellantis Ellesmere Port factory. It’s the first of its kind in the UK and it’s all about supporting the workers at the factory. Stellantis just had the grand opening of the hub, and it’s gonna be a big help for making electric vehicles at the Ellesmere Port manufacturing facility.

So, this hub is at the Queen Elizabeth II Eastham docks in Merseyside, and it’s a joint effort with Suardíaz and Peel Ports. They’re setting up a new maritime logistics service to bring parts to Ellesmere Port, which is the first EV-only volume manufacturing plant in the UK.

The official opening was on Wednesday, November 15, and they even had a ribbon-cutting ceremony. A ship from Vigo Port in Spain, where Ellesmere Port’s sister plant is, came to kick off a new twice-weekly shipping service. The cool thing is that this maritime route is gonna cut CO2 emissions by 30% and energy consumption by 37% compared to using the roads. It’s all part of Stellantis’ Dare Forward 2030 commitment to go carbon neutral by 2038.

And get this, it’s gonna take about 14,700 lorry journeys off the roads in the UK and Europe every year, saving around 17.5 million kilometres in road trips. Each ship can carry up to 95 lorries with about 47 different part lines of sheet metal parts and components for the all-electric compact vans made at Ellesmere Port. And they’re even gonna reuse the packaging for the parts on the return trip to Vigo Port.

Peel Ports and Suardíaz put in a total of £10 million to get a berth at the Queen Elizabeth II Eastham dock up and running, along with all the infrastructure for the Roll-on Roll-off (RoRo) ships and their cargo. The dock is super close to the Stellantis Ellesmere Port plant, just two miles away, and it’s right by the River Mersey and the Manchester Ship Canal.

Diane Miller, the plant director at Ellesmere Port, is stoked about the new Green Automotive Hub. She said it’s a major milestone for the factory and it’s gonna help set up a sustainable supply chain with the new shipping route to Vigo, Spain. She gave a big shoutout to Peel Ports and Suardíaz for teaming up on this groundbreaking project.

David Huck, the chief operating officer at Peel Ports, is all about cutting those supply chain emissions. He’s hyped about how this hub is gonna make a real difference in reducing the impact of maritime and logistics on the environment. He’s all about that teamwork and cooperation with businesses that care about sustainability.

Juan Riva, the President and CEO of Suardíaz, is feeling the love too. He’s all about the collaboration with Peel Ports and Stellantis to make this supply chain happen for the next five years. And get this, they’re even planning to use biofuels on their ships to keep things eco-friendly, just like how Stellantis is all about making electric vehicles.

Ellesmere Port is the first EV-only volume manufacturing plant in the UK, and it’s the first Stellantis plant in the world that’s all about electric vehicles. They started production in September after investing £100 million to switch things up for EVs. Right now, they’re making the Vauxhall Combo Electric, Opel Combo Electric, Peugeot e-Partner, Citroën ë-Berlingo, and Fiat E-Doblò compact vans. And guess what? Vauxhall, Peugeot, Citroën, and Fiat are the only ones making vans in Britain.

But wait, there’s more! In 2024, Ellesmere Port is gonna start making electric passenger vehicles from the Stellantis brands. They’re gonna have the Vauxhall Combo Life Electric, Peugeot e-Rifter, and Citroën ë-Berlingo MPVs. It’s gonna be electric city up in here!