Stellantis

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.

Plan A isn’t working, so it’s time for Plan B. Three major legacy automakers are considering a creative approach to staying in the game amid fierce competition from Tesla and Chinese rivals – all in an effort to make cheap EVs, and a whole lot of them.

Four months after announcing a joint venture with Chinese EV automaker Leapmotor, Stellantis is reportedly mulling taking the strategic cooperation further by building hundreds of thousands of BEVs for its new partner in Italy to serve the European market.

Jeep and Chrysler owner Stellantis – hardly a hero in our EV adoption story – says that it is finally turning a profit on EVs. But that’s in no part due to US sales, since the company doesn’t sell any EVs in the country – but that is changing with a lineup on its way this year.

In a huge push to give European automakers a fighting chance over China in the EV sector, Stellantis and Mercedes-Benz have raised nearly €4.4 billion to build four new EV gigafactories across the European Union in the coming years.

An all-electric Chrysler that can drive itself with “unlimited” range? That’s what Chrysler is showcasing with the new Halcyon EV concept. The sleek sports car features futuristic tech, next-gen batteries, and a new design theme, giving us a glimpse into Chrysler’s all-electric future.

Stellantis has finally announced that it is joining everyone else in adopting the NACS for its upcoming electric vehicles in North America, but there’s no deal with Tesla for the Supercharger network.

Italian performance car specialist Abarth has just debuted a new all-electric model called the 600e as its bright purple “Scorpionissima” launch edition undergoes final testing ahead of a commercial shoot. Abarth shared its first image of the 600e, which promises to be its most powerful vehicle to date.

Storied Italian car brand Lancia revealed its first new car — electric or otherwise — in over a decade, and it did so without warning, without fanfare, and weeks ahead of schedule.

Stellantis has been at odds with the Italian government for its lack of support in EV adoption and not backing home-grown brands Fiat and Alfa Romeo. But now Italy says it is open to buying a stake in Stellantis, Reuters reports, using the same model France uses for its beloved Renault.

Quick acceleration is often used as a selling point for high-performance cars, but can it actually be safer? The instant acceleration of an EV not only offers a more nimble driving experience but it should be a safety feature argues Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares.

Italian automaker Maserati is doubling down on its roots and letting the world know that its vehicles will continue to be 100% designed, developed, and manufactured in Italy. That said, some of those Maserati vehicles in the pipeline, particularly the 100% electric ones, continue to face development hurdles. Meanwhile, Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares is in a battle with the Italian government over EV sales support.

EVs drivers in Italy are a rare breed. And Stellantis’s CEO Carlos Tarvares says the government needs to step in and do more, a lot more, to promote EVs in a country with only 4% EV adoption rate, reports Automotive News Europe. Italy has some of the oldest, most polluting cars in Europe, and is lagging way behind other European countries in EV adoption, with an incentive program that has been practically nonexistent.

At least one automaker will avoid cutting EV prices to compete with Tesla. Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares took aim at Tesla, saying EV price cuts could lead to a “bloodbath,” and the brand is avoiding a race to the bottom.

The first Jeep and Dodge electric vehicles will hit the US later this year. Ahead of their official launches, Stellantis revealed the new STLA Large EV platform that will underpin the upcoming Jeep and Dodge EVs. The platform features up to 500 miles range and power “that will outperform any of the existing Hellcat V-8s.”

After dropping Tesla, global rental car giant SIXT says it will buy up to 250,000 vehicles from Stellantis for its fleets in North America and Europe.

Stellantis has announced that it plans to cut what will likely be thousands of jobs from its Jeep plants in Detroit and Toledo, Ohio, blaming California’s emissions regulations for putting the company at a competitive disadvantage.

Stellantis is getting into the battery swap game, announcing a partnership with US-based swap specialist Ample. Using Ample’s existing technology, Stellantis intends to deliver EVs with battery packs that can be swapped in five minutes, beginning with its 500e.

Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares, the leader behind brands including Jeep, Ram, Dodge, Fiat, and several others, has a warning for other automakers. Tavares said EVs must be affordable but profitable, or they will be “in trouble very, very soon.”

In the race to build small, more affordable electric vehicles to stave off fierce Chinese competition, Stellantis announced this morning that it has signed a broad preliminary joint venture with Chinese EV battery giant CATL. The plan involves buying and developing LFP batteries for the company’s small and mid-sized EVs in Europe. As part of the long-term deal, Stellantis – the parent company of Jeep, Fiat, Citreön, and Peugeot, among many more – is planning to build a new gigafactory in Europe to manufacturer LPF batteries.