Stellantis decision on Vauxhall plant future coming by next Wednesday (day of FCA AND PSA 2020 earnings ).

[AlexB]

''The automaker is weighing three options for the plant in Ellesmere Port, England, according to people familiar with the matter. It either will invest in making a new version of the Vauxhall and Opel Astra compact car there, build a different model at the facility, or shut it down, said the people, who asked not to be identified because no decision has been made.''
The site employing about 1,000 workers has emerged as an early test case for the U.K.’s carmaking prospects after the Brexit trade deal reached in late December. Stellantis Chief Executive Officer Carlos Tavares froze investment in the factory earlier in the year due to uncertainty about Britain’s future trading relationship with the European Union. While a crisis was avoided, the CEO has raised concerns about additional costs and bureaucracy, as well as Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s 2030 ban of combustion-engine cars.

“You put your investment close to the market where you sell the highest volume,” Tavares said in January. Given that, he asked rhetorically: “What is left for the U.K.?”

Stellantis may announce a decision as soon as Wednesday evening after meeting on the matter, according to a spokesman, who declined to comment further. The company also formed from the merger of PSA Group and Fiat Chrysler makes commercial vehicles at a factory in Luton, England. That plant’s future is secure, the people said.

Either the new PSA-Developed Astra
or New Product altogether (CUV)
Or Closure.
Stellantis Deciding Whether to Close U.K. Plant After Brexit (msn.com)
Stellantis will be reporting earnings for Q4 + full year FCA 2020 earnings next Wednesday as well PSA's.
Keep in mind the merger wasn't complete until January 16th 2021..............this will also be the first set of PSA's finances in according to American Reporting Standards of the U.S. SEC instead of just the French standards (for one of examples of the differences French standards doesn't require quarterly financial reporting).

 

[pumadog]

Do they still need more than one plant for the Astra, without the 3-door? What's the plan for the Polish plant when Astra goes to Rüsselsheim?

 

[Deckard Cain]

They should just close off that factory. Although that might lead to blowback in Vauxhall sales in the UK, which is one of the main reasons why PSA bought Opel/Vauxhall.

 

[Bili]

They should leave behind all of UK production sites.

 

[Bili]

What's the plan for the Polish plant when Astra goes to Rüsselsheim?

More Ducatos and rebadges.

 

[patfromigh]

They don't need cars in the UK. They have the Boris Bus.

 

[Mopar392]

Britain is planning to ban sales on gasoline and diesel cars by 2030.
They might as well shut the factory now and move production outside of Britain.
It might not worth investing in the plant for only less than a decade.

Unless it will turn into a plant to build EV vehicles.

 

[AlexB]

From reading this it seems the decision is to close Ellesmere Port unless the British Government pays for overhauling the plant for EV production ,but Stellantis have the Brits on the clock . It seems to be outdated too so either way down time will happen the question is either 24 months or permanently .

UPDATE 1-Talks continue on future of Vauxhall plant, awaiting UK government

Talks will continue between Britain and the parent company of the Vauxhall car factory over its future as the automaker awaits a binding commitment of government support before it makes a major post-Brexit investment decision.

www.reuters.com

 

[pumadog]

In any case it would have to switch from GM platform and manufacturing standards to EMP2/Stellantis. No option to just go on with minimal invest until 2030.

 

[AlexB]

In any case it would have to switch from GM platform and manufacturing standards to EMP2/Stellantis. No option to just go on with minimal invest until 2030.

To me even with huge U.K. subside it still questionable why Stellantis would go forward a massive overhaul outside of generating National pride behind Vauxhall brand.
New state of the art Painting shop is a $1 billion investment along, and they don't need capacity in Europe.

 

[pumadog]

The plant gets investment, switches to BEV versions of Combo, Rifter, Berlingo (small vans, commercial and passenger)

Ellesmere Port will support sustainable mobility through the production of an all-electric vehicle, starting in 2022

Ellesmere Port to become Stellantis’s first manufacturing site dedicated to battery electric LCV and passenger car models for Vauxhall, Opel, Peugeot and Citroën

www.media.stellantis.com

 

[Deckard Cain]

I don't like this. I'm afraid of what it'll mean for the portuguese PSA factory that builds Rifters, Berlingos and Combos.
It's the second biggest auto factory in Portugal.

 

[pumadog]

But … Doblos and ProMaster Citys might join the family soon. So it could be Turkey suffering instead?

 

[patfromigh]

The Doblo/Ram PMC is the superior commercial vehicle in its class, and has options and variations the PSA sourced vans can't offer. I still wouldn't be surprised if it was replaced by a badge engineered Peugeot van.

 

[Deckard Cain]

Don't know the Doblo. A friend of mine has the 7-seat Peugeot Rifter for his 4 kids and he likes it a lot.
Don't know how the non-commercial version of the Doblo compares.

 

[pumadog]

Who would drive a passenger Doblo? It‘s fugly. And super old. The PSA triplets look rather nice, like the medium vans do. Maybe Fiat waits for the next gen and adds missing options.

How are the chances that Stellantis might split Tofas off? Tipp is meant to go away since long, Doblo and it‘s smaller sibling are old. Much European overcapacity, Turkey autocratic country not in the EU…

 

[patfromigh]

Thr Ram PMC offers a Taxi package in the US. What frustrates many business customers in North America is the PMC is only available as a van. We don't get the chassis-cab, despite that version being exempt from the chicken tax. We also don't have the roof options which are subject to the tax. The future of commercial vehicles in North America (As opposed to consumer focused vehicles.) is customization. The Doblo/PMC offers more opportunity for customization by outside upfitters than the other vans in the class.

The hottest selling pickup truck in Latin America is the Fiat Toro which uses the same suspension design as the Doblo. Stellantis is fond of using badge engineered Chinese pickup trucks in Africa and Latin America, so maybe they won't want the Brazilian derived Fiat products anymore.

 

[Deckard Cain]

I highly doubt that they will discard the Brazilian derived Fiat products. The Fiat Strada and Toro are cash cows.
If they do anything to kill Fiat product in LATAM they will only offer that region in a silver plate to Chevrolet, VW and Hyundai.