Vauxhall moves its special vehicle operations facility

Car maker Vauxhall has decided to move its Special Vehicle Operations facility to Luton, where the plant already produces commercial vehicles, as well as Vivaro vans.

Now, the plant will also be responsible for producing blue light vehicles with approximately 2,500 police cars being manufactured, as well as ambulances and fire vehicles. Over the next couple of years, as many as 2,000 extra vehicles will be supplied to 28 blue light fleets by Vauxhall.

The reason behind the move from Millbrook is due to the contemplation of the long-term effects surrounding cost and great opportunities for expansion. At the current moment, teams work tirelessly to manufacture around 60 blue light cars per week. One Vauxhall Astra police car alone can take a full day to be completed, while riot vans can take approximately 350 hours to be manufactured, due to the additional security and personalised demands involved.

There also appears to be a high demand for the turnkey solution, which benefits delivery times and reduces costs significantly. All vehicles go by factory specification, therefore there is no need to upgrade and issues can be easily fixed should any arise. Other benefits mean that maintenance is kept under control and selling the cars on once used is much easier.

What is also interesting about the process is that civilian Astras can be converted into police cars with simple, damage-free tactics. For instance, an ordinary radio can be changed to a police radio and a switch pack for the siren can be embedded within moulded trim panels. Everything is thought of to avoid any hole being drilled into the car which will de-value the car instantly.

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