Stellantis NV unveiled two new electric vehicles in Italy as the automaker faces increasing pressure from local politicians to protect Fiat’s home country’s production and jobs.
On Tuesday, the company unveiled the electric Topolino minicar and the battery-powered Fiat 600 compact sport utility vehicle at its Turin factory.
Plants in Morocco and Poland, respectively, produce the automobiles. The Topolino, which means “little mouse” in Italian, will start at €9,890, while the SUV starts at €35,950 ($39,167).
At a time when governments in Italy and France are attempting to safeguard local industries threatened by the transition away from the combustion engine, Chief Executive Officer Carlos Tavares is reorganizing Stellantis’ industrial footprint with stringent cost reductions. Stellantis has been criticized by unions for not investing enough in factory maintenance, citing clogged toilets and unmowed grass as examples.
More details: Stellantis plans to retool its factories to produce electric and plug-in hybrid models, which will result in the loss of as many as 2,000 jobs in Italy this year, or approximately 4.3% of the company’s workforce in the country.
At the Turin inauguration, Chairman John Elkann stated, “Stellantis has profound roots here in Italy, where we have a glorious past, a strong present, and exciting future.” He also mentioned Italian factories and the battery “Gigafactory” that will be built in Termoli. He also said that Italy’s historic Mirafiori factory will be important for recycling materials and a “large business” in the company’s battery hub.
The manufacturer is also moving forward with plans for a battery factory in Termoli and has promised to increase production at its Melfi plant in southern Italy. In addition, it is converting its renowned Turin facility into an EV hub.
Nevertheless, in light of concerns that the transition to electric vehicles will necessitate significantly fewer workers, Italian officials have increased their pressure on Stellantis to maintain local plant operations. Industry Minister Adolfo Urso stated last month that the country even has room for another mass-market car manufacturer to meet rising demand for EVs, citing Stellantis’s higher production in France.
At Bloomberg’s Italy Capital Markets Forum in early June, Finance Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti rejected the idea that Italy should invest in Stellantis to increase its influence.
In 2021, Fiat Chrysler and France’s PSA Group merged to form the Jeep, Peugeot, and Alfa Romeo car manufacturer with its headquarters in Amsterdam.
