Fiat 600 Jolly, page #4

Auto blog

Stellantis will enter joint venture with Samsung SDI for EV batteries

SEOUL — South Korean battery maker Samsung SDI Co Ltd and global automaker Stellantis NV have agreed to jointly produce electric vehicle (EV) batteries for the North American market, a person familiar with the matter said on Tuesday. Samsung SDI, an affiliate of South Korean tech giant Samsung Electronics, already has EV battery plants in South Korea, China and Hungary, which supply customers such as BMW and Ford. "The two companies (Samsung SDI and Stellantis) have struck a MOU (memorandum of understanding) to produce EV batteries for North America," the person with knowledge of the matter told Reuters. The source spoke of condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter. The person said the location of the battery joint venture is under review and will be announced later. In July, Reuters reported that Samsung SDI may build a battery plant in the United States, citing a company source. South Korea's Yonhap news agency earlier reported the two companies plan to build a factory in the United States, citing industry sources. Samsung SDI and Stellantis did not have immediate comment when reached by Reuters. Stellantis on Monday struck a preliminary deal with battery maker South Korea's LG Energy Solution (LGES) to produce battery cells and modules for North America. Shares of Samsung SDI were up 2.6% as of 0300 GMT, versus a 0.6% rise in the KOSPI benchmark index. Related video: Green Alfa Romeo Chrysler Dodge Ferrari Fiat Jeep Maserati RAM Citroen Lancia Opel Peugeot Vauxhall

Stellantis and LG launch joint venture for North American battery plant

Stellantis has struck a preliminary deal with battery maker LG Energy Solution (LGES) to produce battery cells and modules for North America, as the world's No. 4 automaker rolls out its 30 billion euro ($35 billion) electrification plan. Global automakers are investing billions of euros to accelerate a transition to low-emission mobility and prepare for a progressive phase-out of internal combustion engines. Stellantis and LGES's joint venture will produce battery cells and modules at a new facility with an annual capacity of 40 gigawatt hours (GWh), the two firms said on Monday. No financial details of the deal were provided. The plant is scheduled to start production by the first quarter of 2024, with groundbreaking expected in the second quarter of 2022, the companies said in their statement. Its location is under review and will be announced later. Stellantis, formed in January from the merger of Italian-American automaker Fiat Chrysler and France's PSA, has said it wants to secure more than 130 GWh of global battery capacity by 2025 and more than 260 GWh by 2030. The batteries produced under the deal will supply Stellantis' U.S., Canadian and Mexican assembly plants for installation in hybrid and fully electric vehicles, supporting its goal of e-vehicles making up more than 40% of its U.S. sales by 2030. The company, whose brands include Peugeot, Fiat, Opel and U.S. best-sellers Jeep and Ram, earlier this year announced it would invest more than 30 billion euros through 2025 on electrifying its vehicle lineup. Stellantis has said it would build three battery plants in Europe and two in North America, including at least one in the United States. Intesa Sanpaolo analyst Monica Bosio said the deal was positive, and a further step ahead in Stellantis' electrification process. It comes weeks after Stellantis and its partner TotalEnergies agreed to open up their battery cell joint venture ACC to Daimler, to expand their European sourcing of battery cells. Stellantis is also targeting more than 70% of sales in Europe to be of low-emission vehicles by 2030, and aims to make the total cost of owning an EV equal to that of a gasoline-powered model by 2026. Related video: Green Plants/Manufacturing Alfa Romeo Chrysler Dodge Ferrari Fiat Jeep Maserati RAM Citroen Lancia Opel Peugeot Vauxhall Electric Hybrid EV batteries LG

Stellantis reports record margins, $7B profits despite chip shortage

MILAN — Automaker Stellantis on Tuesday said it achieved faster-than-expected progress on synergies and record margins in its first six months as a combined company, despite suffering 700,000 units in lower production due to interruptions in the semiconductor supply chain. The company — formed from French carmaker Peugeot PSAÂ’s takeover of the Italian-American company Fiat Chrysler — reported net profit of 5.9 billion euros ($7 billion) in the first half of 2021, compared with a loss 813 million euros during the same period a year earlier, which was impacted by the coronavirus restrictions around the globe. Shipments rose 44% to 3.2 million units, while revenues rose 46% to 75 billion euros. “We are very pleased with the speed with which the new team has begun to execute as one company, as Stellantis,Â’Â’ Chief Financial Officer Richard Palmer told reporters. Semiconductor shortages accounted for 200,000 units of production losses in the first quarter and 500,000 in the second quarter. Semiconductors are used more than ever before in new vehicles with electronic features such as Bluetooth connectivity and driver assist, navigation and hybrid electric systems. Stellantis achieved 1.3 billion euros in cost savings in the first half, mostly by sharing investments in new technologies and platforms, which Palmer said was a faster rate than initially forecast. It aims to achieve 80% of the targeted 5 billion in cost savings by 2024. “These synergies allow us to continue to invest in the electrification strategy, which we talk about every day,” Palmer said. Stellantis, which lags competitors in rolling out electric vehicles, plans to launch 21 fully electric or plug-in gas electric hybrid vehicles over the next two years. North American posted record profitability on global sales of Ram trucks and the strong launch of the Jeep Wrangler 4xe, which was the best-selling plug-in gas electric vehicle in the United States in the second quarter. Stellantis was the market leader in South America and second in Europe. The results were presented on a pro-forma basis, taking into account the performance of each of the carmakers as separate entities during 2020. Related video: 2021 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 Inside and Out

Dodge, Ram, Jeep — Stellantis — dumped a ton of news: Here's a roundup

Stellantis hit us with an absolute deluge of information regarding its future electric vehicle plans Thursday, including a roadmap for each of its brands to reach a goal of making electrified vehicles 80% of the company's total global volume by 2030. We'll hit all of the highlights here, with an emphasis on those that matter most to the U.S. marketplace.  Stellantis previews 4 electric platforms: Here's how they'll be used This is the method behind the rest of Thursday's madness. Eventually, Stellantis will migrate its electrified vehicles onto one of these core platforms based around a new common EV powertrain architecture.    Dodge will launch the 'world's first electric muscle car' in 2024 It looks like Dodge will invoke its 60s heritage (peep the illuminated "Fratzog" on the nose) for a new, all-electric muscle car. Based on the STLA Large platform, it's projected to have a 0-to-60 time as low as 2 seconds and a range of up to 500 miles. The automaker also hinted at a maximum power output of as high as 886 horsepower courtesy of a pair of 330-kilowatt electric motors.   Jeep will have 4xe plug-in hybrid models across the lineup by 2025 The iconic 4x4 brand will have a plug-in hybrid variant of every model by 2025. The U.S.-market Compass 4xe is expected to debut this summer, and the Wagoneer 4xe has already been announced. The Grand Cherokee 4xe will be shown at the New York International Auto Show in August.    Fully electric Ram 1500 will begin production in 2024 You didn't think the Ford F-150 Lightning would get the space all to itself, did you? Ram says it will have an electrified Ram 1500 on the market soon. Will it be fast enough to beat GM?   Stellantis teases mystery electric Chrysler concept This one's a genuine puzzler. We've reached out to Chrysler for details, but for now, all we know is that this all-electric concept appears production-friendly and will ostensibly ride on the same STLA Large platform as the Dodge muscle car.    Opel Manta E will be the electric revival of the classic German coupe We'll forgive you if you'd forgotten that Opel was now part of Stellantis, and with new ownership comes new opportunity. The company revived the Manta nameplate as a high-riding coupe/hatchback concept.   Fiat says all Abarth models to be electric from 2024 This likely won't matter much in the U.S. market, where the 500X will soon be the only vehicle it sells, but Fiat's performance division is going all-electric.

Fiat says all Abarth models to be electric from 2024

Fiat didn’t have the big, bold product announcements in Stellantis EV Day that Ram, Dodge and Jeep did, but the Italian company still gave us a little something to chew on.  For starters, Fiat says all future Abarth products will be electric from 2024 and onward. There are currently no Fiat Abarth products sold in the U.S., but the news could still be relevant to us as it concerns future Abarths. News that future Abarths will be electric by a certain time is essentially confirmation that such a vehicle or vehicles are on the way, so expect an electric Abarth sometime around 2024. Consider the 500 Abarth and 124 Abarth to be the last two gasoline-powered Abarth-branded vehicles to be sold in the U.S. Seeing the closeness of the 2024 cutoff, theyÂ’ll also likely be the last gasoline Abarth models sold globally, too. The EV promise extends further than just Abarth models, though. Fiat previously said it would become an EV-only brand by 2030, but the transition was laid out with greater specificity today. By 2024, every model line in FiatÂ’s lineup will have a full-BEV option. Fiat doesnÂ’t have a massive lineup, but it means the company will need to electrify models beyond the new 500 that is already electric. Lastly, Fiat promises that all of its commercial vehicles will offer an electric option starting in 2022, and the company is counting fuel cell vehicles as part of this lineup. The commitment to go all-EV by 2030 still stands, though Fiat now says it could get there any time between 2025-2030. Fiat says the switchover will be made whenever it can sell EVs for the same price as their combustion engine equivalents, as it wants to keep costs in a place where your typical Fiat owner can still buy its vehicles. Stellantis EV Day coverage: Dodge will launch the 'world's first electric muscle car' in 2024 Fully electric Ram 1500 will begin production in 2024 Jeep will have 4xe plug-in hybrid models across the lineup by 2025 Stellantis teases mystery electric Chrysler concept Stellantis previews 4 electric platforms: Here's how they'll be used Fiat says all Abarth models to be electric from 2024 Opel Manta E will be the electric revival of the classic German coupe Stellantis says its 2021 performance has been better than expected Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Stellantis says its 2021 performance has been better than expected

MILAN — Stellantis softened up investors ahead of its electrification strategy event on Thursday by flagging that 2021 got off to a better-than-expected start despite a chip shortage that has hit automakers worldwide. Stellantis, which was formed in January from the merger of Italian-American automaker Fiat Chrysler and France's PSA, faces an investor community keen to hear how it plans to come up with a range of electrified vehicles (EVs) to rival Tesla. At its "EV Day 2021" kicking off at 1230 GMT, Stellantis will disclose significant investments in electrification technology and connected software as it aims to be an industry frontrunner, it said in a statement. In April, Chief Executive Carlos Tavares said it would offer low-emission versions — either battery or hybrid electric — of almost all of its European models by 2025, and they should make up 70% of European sales and 35% of U.S. sales by 2030. Stellantis, the world's fourth-biggest automaker, has 14 brands in its stable, including Jeep, Ram, Opel, Fiat, Peugeot and Maserati.   Stellantis EV Day coverage: Dodge will launch the 'world's first electric muscle car' in 2024 Fully electric Ram 1500 will begin production in 2024 Jeep will have 4xe plug-in hybrid models across the lineup by 2025 Stellantis teases mystery electric Chrysler concept Stellantis previews 4 electric platforms: Here's how they'll be used Fiat says all Abarth models to be electric from 2024 Opel Manta E will be the electric revival of the classic German coupe Stellantis says its 2021 performance has been better than expected   At a similar EV strategy event last week, French rival Renault announced that 90% of its main brand models would be all-electric by 2030, whereas previously it had included hybrids in its target. Germany's Volkswagen, the world's second-biggest automaker after Toyota, expects all-electric vehicles to make up 55% of its total sales in Europe by 2030, and more than 70% of sales at its Volkswagen brand. Stellantis said its margins on adjusted operating profits in the first half of 2021 were expected to exceed an annual target of between 5.5% and 7.5%, despite production losses due to a global shortage of semiconductor supplies. Stellantis shares listed in Milan were down 2.6% at 0920 GMT, underperforming the broader European car index. Bestinver analyst Marco Opipari said Thursday's news was positive but that the stock was suffering from profit taking as it had moved up about 20% since the end of April.

Fiat 500 Abarth appears in its fastest form yet

Fiat ended the Abarth-trained 500's career in the United States, but the fun-sized hot hatch is still around in Europe. It just spawned a new limited-edition model named 695 EsseEsse that's lighter and quicker than the production car. Offered exclusively as a hatchback, the 695 EsseEsse wears a redesigned hood that weighs 25% less than the standard car's because it's made out of aluminum instead of steel. If you're taking notes for a car-spotting trip to Italy, keep in mind the new-look panel features a pair of domes not found on the standard 695. Out back, the EsseEsse inherits a sizeable spoiler from the 70th Anniversary model whose angle can be manually adjusted from 0 to 60 degrees. When set to 60 degrees, the wing provides up to 93 pounds of additional downforce. Abarth made no major mechanical modifications to the 695, so power comes from a turbocharged, 1.4-liter four-cylinder engine tuned to develop 180 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque. It spins the front wheels via a five-speed manual transmission operated with a carbon fiber shift knob, and it exhales through an Akrapovic exhaust system that's lighter than the unit fitted to the standard 695. We're told it sounds better on and off the track, too. Hitting 62 mph from a stop takes 6.7 seconds, and Abarth quotes a top speed of 140 mph when the rear wing is set to 0 degrees. Koni shock absorbers ensure the EsseEsse is just as thrilling on a twisty road as it is in a straight line. Abarth will make 1,390 units of the 695 EsseEsse, and production will be split evenly between Scorpion Black (pictured) and Campovolo Gray. Pricing hasn't been announced yet, but it's of little interest to American enthusiasts because nothing suggests the 500 and its Abarth-tuned derivative will make a comeback in the United States. What's in a name? Rewind to 1964, when the 500 used a rear-mounted air-cooled engine and Abarth operated as a tuner rather than as a sub-brand. It transformed the tiny 500 into a sports car by increasing the two-cylinder's displacement to 690 cubic centimeters (42.1 cubic inches) and fitting it with wider wheel arches, among other modifications. The end result was a 38-horsepower pocket rocket capable of reaching 87 mph, an unbelievable speed at the time.  Abarth named its creation 695 SS, and it wrote out the acronym on the engine cover instead of using the two letters. It's like if Chevrolet had fitted "Impala EssEss" badges to the Impala SS. Production was capped at 1,000 units.

Stellantis will build four electric vehicles in Italy, say union reps

MILAN — Stellantis will produce four medium-segment electric vehicles, of different brands, at its Melfi plant in southern Italy from 2024, the UILM union said on Tuesday. Since Stellantis was formed at the beginning of this year through the merger of Fiat Chrysler and France's PSA, production in Italy has been under scrutiny for costing more than elsewhere in Europe. "Stellantis announced that Melfi would be the first plant in Italy to get new models, based on post-2022 business plan," UILM said in a statement after workers' representatives met with the carmaker at Italy's industry ministry in Rome. Future production at Melfi will be based on a single enhanced production line that will merge the two existing ones, the union said, adding the restructuring will leave production capacity at the site unchanged at around 400,000 units. UILM's head, Rocco Palombella, said unions had not received all the answers they wanted as Stellantis was still working on its new business plan. "But the positive element is that the company has not absolutely called for structural redundancies," he said after the meeting. Stellantis Chief Executive Carlos Tavares has said the group would present its business plan late this year or in early 2022. Stellantis, the world's fourth-largest carmaker, gave no details about what was discussed at the meeting. In an earlier statement the company said it was working "with determination and speed" to support the energy transition of all its Italian sites. Italy's Industry minister, Giancarlo Giorgetti, however, said in a separate statement after the meeting that Stellantis had yet to decide where it would build its third electric battery plant in Europe. Stellantis, which already has two battery factory projects in France and Germany, has said adding gigafactories in Europe and the United States would be decided this year. The company is holding talks on this with Rome, as Italy is one of its main production hubs in Europe. Related video: Green Plants/Manufacturing Alfa Romeo Fiat Jeep Citroen Opel Peugeot Stellantis

Fiat announces an all-EV transition by 2030

Today, multiple European publications are reporting that Fiat boss Olivier Francois said that Fiat will become an EV-only brand.  Stellantis is talking a big game about its EV future. The new mashup of car brands initially made the claim that by 2030, 70% of Europe sales and 35% of U.S. sales will be of all-electric vehicles. Fiat going all-electric will help accomplish this goal. “Between 2025 and 2030, our product lineup will gradually become electric only. This will be a radical change for Fiat,” Francois says. ItÂ’s tough to pinpoint exactly what that means for the U.S. market, as Fiat is only hanging on by a shred here. The only 2021 model year car it sells now is the 500X. Both the 500L and 124 Spider are listed on FiatÂ’s website, but both are 2020 model year vehicles that arenÂ’t being renewed. The regular 500 is long gone, and thereÂ’s no indication that the redesigned electric-only 500 is on its way. If the U.S. does get to enjoy FiatÂ’s electric future one day, it could very well be with totally new and different models than what we see now. The crossover-like 500X is the only model to make it through FiatÂ’s recent purging, so another small, electric crossover could make sense in the U.S. later this decade. Of course, thatÂ’s assuming Fiat keeps a foothold in America. Francois provided a reasoning for announcing the switchover now. “The decision to launch the new 500 – electric and electric alone – was actually taken before Covid-19,” Francois says. “Even then, we were already aware that the world could not take any more compromises. We were reminded of the urgency of taking action, of doing something for the planet Earth.” We suspect StellantisÂ’ view on moving toward EVs heavily influenced the decision, too. Small EVs are all the rage these days in Europe, and FiatÂ’s lineup is packed full of small cars. The next reasonable guess at a new Fiat EV would be a production version of the Centoventi Concept. ItÂ’s FiatÂ’s interpretation of an electric Panda, and Fiat says its theoretical range maxes out at 310 miles. Of course, thatÂ’s only a concept, and it was revealed far before Stellantis was formed. WeÂ’ll only know how this will play out in time, as Fiat gave itself nearly a decade to transition from gasoline to electric cars. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Stellantis and Foxconn's new joint venture will focus on connectivity

MILAN — Carmaker Stellantis and TaiwanÂ’s Foxconn announced plans to develop a jointly operated automotive supplier focusing on technology to make vehicles more connected, including artificial intelligence-based applications and 5G communications. Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares said the services that will be developed through the tie-up “will mark the next great evolution of our industry,” alongside fully electrified and hybrid powertrains. The deal brings together Stellantis, the worldÂ’s 4th-largest automaker formed this year by the merger of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and PSA Peugeot, and Foxconn, a major supplier of iPhones. The companies said the venture would focus on such services as infotainment, the integration of telecommunications and computer systems, artificial intelligence-based applications, 5G communications, e-commerce channels and smart cockpit integration. The companies announced a non-binding memorandum of understanding to form a 50-50 joint venture called Mobile Drive, which will be based in the Netherlands and function as an automotive supplier also to other carmakers. The new venture will combine advanced consumer electronics, Human-Machine Interfaces (HMI) to create new services “that will exceed customer expectations,” the companies said in a release. “Customers today and, in the future, demand and expect ever-increasing software-driven and creative solutions to connect the drivers and passengers with the vehicle inside and out,Â’Â’ Foxconn Chairman Young Liu. Alfa Romeo Chrysler Dodge Ferrari Fiat Jeep RAM Citroen Opel Peugeot 5g Connectivity Stellantis Foxconn