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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

Barbie-themed Maserati Grecale Trofeo: Stick that in your dream house

A new live-action Barbie movie is coming, which means brand collaborations across several industries. The car-crazy Barbie world is teaming up with Maserati and Neiman Marcus to create a one-off Grecale Trofeo SUV with so much pink that the Mary Kay paint factory may be running low for a while.  As a whole, the Barbie universe is incredibly car-friendly and has featured some iconic models over the years, including Corvettes, a 911, a Ferrari, and various Jeeps. Maserati’s hoping to get on that list with its new Grecale Trofeo SUV. The automaker partnered with Neiman Marcus on the car as part of its Fantasy Gift Launch and to celebrate the release of the new Barbie movie. Only one Grecale Trofeo will be available in the United States as part of the promotion (did they think that's all they could sell?). Like other Trofeos, it uses the 530-horsepower V6 Nettuno engine from the MC20 and features the classic Barbie pink exterior colors. Logos and other graphics accent the loud exterior color. Inside, the black interior features full leather upholstery and leather covering the dash, doors, and other components. The seats feature pink “B” stitching. Maserati and Neiman Marcus estimate the value of the SUV at $330,000. Ten percent of the sales will go to the Barbie Dream Gap Project, so this is more than a vanity project for Maserati and the department store chain. We donÂ’t know much about the other cars that will make appearances in Margo RobbieÂ’s upcoming Barbie remix, but the movieÂ’s teaser poster shows her driving a C1 Corvette with what appears to be a charging port door. An electrified first-generation Corvette would make waves, but even something as unique as that will have a hard time competing with the Grecale for attention. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Maserati MC20 GT2 returns the Trident to GT racing in 2023

Seems we got ahead of Maserati, but now we're on the same page with the Italian carmaker. We wrote about the Maserati Project24 earlier this week, a limited-edition track car not built to race a specific series, instead chasing Maserati's own performance targets. We wondered whether the Project24 was a pivot from the rumored GT3 program planned for the MC20 years ago. Turns out the Project24 is an offshoot of the GT2 program for the MC20, the Italians in Modena announcing they've developed an MC20 GT2 to compete in the Fanatec GT2 European Series Championship next year. The base tech specs listed so far for the MC20 GT2 are the same as the Project24. The twin-turbo Nettuno V6 shifts through a six-speed sequential auto with paddle shifters, sending power to the rear wheels through a mechanical limited slip differential. Brembo CCMR racing brakes hang off a double wishbone suspension with anti-roll bars front and rear and adjustable dampers, just behind custom, forged 18-spoke center lock wheels on racing slicks that can be changed easily thanks to on-board air jacks. A single seat in the cabin is accessorized with an adjustable, multifunction carbon fiber steering wheel, an adjustable pedal box, and air conditioning. Safety features include an FIA fuel tank, rain light, roll cage, six-point harness, and fire extinguisher.  The differences that we know of include output, curb weight, and the aero package. Series organizer SRO says GT2 is "formulated to bring gentlemen drivers back to the front of the stage ... whilst being fast and spectacular enough to secure the values of SRO-promoted championships, should the current GT3 category become too expensive for too many of our teams and drivers." GT2 regulations cap output at around 630 hp, just nine more than the standard MC20 throws down — and 110 hp less than the Project24. The series' Balance of Performance rules will ultimately determine race weight and output. The regulations also draw limits around aero devices that Maserati Stile didn't need to heed on the Project24. The aero bit is especially important here because GT2 cars are more powerful than GT3 entries but designed to be less reliant on aerodynamics than GT3 cars, making GT2 versions easier for amateurs to drive at the limit.  This is Maserati's first dip back into GT racing above the GT4 class since the MC12 GT1 that snagged close to 100 wins between 2004 and 2010. The race division will sell cars to individuals and race teams.