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Stellantis' production in Italy cut by up to 220,000 vehicles

MILAN — A global crunch in semiconductor supply could cost Stellantis up to 220,000 vehicles this year in terms of lost output in Italy, the FIM CISL union said, adding this would mark the fifth year in a row of declining production in the country. FIM CISL said in its periodic report on the group's production in Italy that Stellantis produced 351,890 vehicles in the first half of this year, almost 14% less than in the same period last year, with the key Melfi plant and the Sevel van-making facility being the most affected sites. Using data for the first half of the year and potential full-year production based on orders booked, the union estimates Stellantis could lose between 200,000-220,000 vehicles in 2022, said Ferdinando Uliano, the head of the FIM CISL union. "It's as if one of the group's large plants stopped for a year," he said, adding the chip supply situation was not improving this year and would also affect production in 2023. Uliano said factors including the war in Ukraine and the disruption to Russian gas supplies to Europe would only worsen the part supply situation for the automotive industry. A spokesman for Stellantis declined to comment on data and forecasts provided by FIM CISL, but repeated the carmaker had been taking decisions regarding the management of its operations on a day-by-day, plant-by-plant basis since the start of the COVID pandemic. Plants/Manufacturing Fiat Jeep

Jeep Renegade and Fiat 500X finally on the way to dealers

After a brief pause, the Jeep Renegade and Fiat 500X are on their way to dealers again. While initially reported as a software bug, the issue had nothing to do with the models themselves. According to a statement from FCA US to Autoblog, the "vehicles were built with an atypical Vehicle Identification Number that may not be recognized as valid by some computer systems." That problem has now been fixed. FCA US held the compact crossovers back from dealers until the company could rectify the bug. If the CUVs had been delivered, there would have been difficulty registering the vehicles, according to Automotive News. Before discovering the situation, about 20 of these Renegades were sold to customers. FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne originally discussed the predicament in late May. "I'm having a very bad engineering day," he said. "It's a combination of attributes of that vehicle that is making my life horrible." While the boss predicted the problem would be fixed as late as mid-June, the company apparently got things working much quicker than that. Related Video: FCA US Statement A limited number of 2015 Jeep Renegade and 2016 Fiat 500X vehicles were built with an atypical Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) that may not be recognized as valid by some computer systems. This VIN issue has been resolved. FCA US has been working with governmental agencies, insurers and financial institutions with whom customers may interact to ensure successful registration, financing and insurance coverage. Renegade and 500X vehicles are being shipped and are in stock at dealerships for purchase. The VIN issue is entirely separate from the operation of the vehicle.

Marchionne wants to nearly double Jeep sales by 2018

Jeep just keeps breaking its own sales records. A couple of weeks ago, the off-road brand announced its worldwide sales exceeded one million units for the first time, marking its third consecutive global record and the fifth straight year of sales increases here in the US. But FCA isn't about to stop there. TheDetroitBureau.com reports that chief executive Sergio Marchionne, speaking to the media at the Detroit Auto Show, has announced a new sales target for the Jeep division: By 2018, he wants to see Jeep sell 1.9 million units in a single year, nearly doubling its all-time record. The expansion will surely encompass new products, with the all-new Renegade just warming up, a next-generation Wrangler on the way and a reborn Grand Wagoneer in the pipeline, as well. But the focus of FCA's preparations to reach the new target is on production capacity. While it's not clear whether the Toledo, OH plant where half of all the Jeeps sold around the world are currently built will continue to host the next Wrangler, FCA is expanding production overseas. The Renegade is already being built alongside the Fiat 500X in Italy, where another 1,000 workers are being re-hired and where another factory is set to start producing Jeeps, as well. A Renegade-based variant for the South American market will soon be built in Brazil, and by the end of this year, Jeep aims to start local production in China.