The future of Vauxhall’s Ellesmere Port car plant is set to be secured through production of an electric vehicle, with an announcement possible as soon as next week.

Ministers have been in talks with Vauxhall owner Stellantis for months over providing government support for the plant, and Sky News understands the manufacturer has signed off plans to continue production in the North West.

The future of the Ellesmere Port plant, which currently makes the Vauxhall Astra, has been under threat since the UK committed to ban new petrol and diesel cars from 2030, a decision that Stellantis said made production of internal combustion engine vehicles unviable.

The move comes after Nissan and battery manufacturer Envision announced a £1bn investment in a new all-electric model and “gigafactory” in Sunderland.

The Financial Times reports the announcement could be formally made on Tuesday.

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