Stellantis

A previously announced joint venture between China’s Leapmotor and Stellantis has begun building EVs in Europe ahead of local deliveries targeted this fall. Leapmotor’s entry into local production and sales overseas begins with a small EV called the T03.

Despite numerous delays and mounting competition from Ford, Stellantis, and the Chinese, the GM board decided to take $6 billion and pump its share price instead of investing in the company’s future.

Mercedes and Stellantis have stopped work on their joint European EV battery factory projects, and are reassessing which direction to move forward with the possibility of shifting to cheaper lithium iron phosphate cells.

A new EV is set for the UK to rival BYD and other low-cost Chinese automakers entering the market. Starting at $28,000 (£21,990), the new Citroen e-C3 will be one of the most affordable EVs in the UK.

One week after reporting plans for a press event launching its new joint venture, Stellantis and Leapmotor have officially begun the new business venture together. The new JV, named “Leapmotor International,” will expand to sell Chinese EVs in Europe this fall, with additional markets to follow.

In a milestone, supermaterials trailblazer Lyten has shipped lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries to Stellantis and other US and EU OEMs for testing.

Approximately six months after taking a $1.6 billion stake in Chinese OEM Leapmotor, Stellantis is reportedly poised to officially launch a new joint venture between the two automakers to sell the former’s China-built EVs globally. The joint venture is expected to be announced very soon as Leapmotor International.

Stellantis Q1 2024 revenue fell 12%, but global EV sales were up, and it’s optimistic about growth and profitability in H2 2024.

The ongoing tensions between Italy and Alfa Romeo’s parent company Stellantis reached a head last week when the Italian government told the automaker that naming its upcoming Alfa Romeo EV the Milano was against the law because the car will be built in Poland. So now Alfa Romeo has decided to change the name to something that won’t evoke any feelings of la dolce vita or desire for delicious Pepperidge Farm cookies, or any emotions at all for that matter. Besides total blandness.

What’s an Alfa Romeo without a cool Italian-sounding name? The Stellantis-owned company is naming its first BEV after the famous city of Milan, but the Italian government is now playing hardball by saying that’s illegal since the car will be built in Poland. If it’s not made in Italy, it can’t sound Italian.

It’s not a good week to be working at Stellantis. As it (finally) moves to try to sell EVs in the US, the automaker just laid off 400 US salaried tech workers and software engineers on Friday. Today the company announced that it was slashing more than 1,500 jobs in Turin, Italy, due to what it says are slow sales of its all-electric Fiat 500e city car. [Updated: Stellantis announced later after publication that the total number of layoffs in Italy would be 2,500.]

Stellantis-owned Fiat has had high hopes for its all-electric Fiat 500, available in the US, but now a report says that the company may backtrack due to low demand and add an ICE version to the lineup.

Stellantis – the parent company of Jeep, Chrysler, Fiat, Dodge, and Ram – says that it will comply with California’s stricter emissions policy requiring two-thirds of new cars to be zero-emissions or all-electric by 2030 – and will commit to the deal even if former President Donald Trump makes a return to office and tries to dismantle the policy.

Jeep, RAM, Dodge, and Fiat owner Stellantis is launching its first passenger electric vehicles in the US this year. The first to roll out, the Fiat 500e, is already drawing in new dealers ahead of deliveries.

As Tesla’s NACS connector and Supercharger network are gaining critical mass, Stellantis and GM charging station partner Charge Enterprises – helmed by a longtime GM and Ford executive – has filed for bankruptcy.

Five months after signing a proposed joint venture with EV automaker Leapmotor, Stellantis has reportedly gained regulatory approval in China to continue its stake. This deal is the first of its kind for a Western automaker and gives Stellantis the exclusive rights to build, export, and sell Leapmotor brand EVs outside of China, and it is already mulling some exciting markets for them.

Stellantis, the owner of Jeep, Ram, Dodge, Chrysler, and others, appointed Carlos Zarlenga to lead North American operations. Zarlenga, a former GM executive, is tasked with launching eight EVs as the brand begins its electric offensive in the US.

Rumors have been brewing for weeks now that Europe’s automakers were challenging the EU’s decision to ban ICE vehicles as of 2035. But the ACEA, Europe’s automakers association, said that it is not pushing back and is all in with the EV future. Is this PR spin or the real thing?

Fiat just unveiled a new set of Panda-inspired concept cars at the Geneva Motor Show, including a new city car and a pickup truck. As Fiat has just launched its 500e in the US, some EV versions of these vehicles could be on their way stateside.

The first Stellantis brand EV destined for the US rolled off the assembly line this week. The all-electric Fiat 500e will arrive in the US by the end of March after selling out of its first dealer allocation in less than a week.

Just days after Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares divulged the automotive conglomerate was mulling building electric vehicles for joint venture partner Leapmotor in Europe, the always interesting Tavares spoke further, sharing an openness to also assemble the Chinese EVs in North America, most likely the US, if necessary. Here’s the latest.