The CEO of Stellantis Antonio Filosa presented in Detroit the new 60 billion dollar investment plan with which the group aims to return to growth in sales and margins, after difficult years due to the crisis in the European automotive market. The plan comes with guarantees on Italian factories, despite the drops in production.
External partners could intervene, such as some Chinese companies, along the lines of what was announced in recent days by Dongfeng. Pomigliano d’Arco is instead awaiting the arrival of the new electric model costing less than 15 thousand euros which should bring the plant’s production back to high levels.
Stellantis’ investment plan
Stellantis’ plan is called Fastlane 2030, and includes:
- investments of 60 billion euros over the next 4 years;
- 60% of investments in brands;
- 40% of investments in engines and other technologies;
- 60 new models across all brands.
To do this, Stellantis has decided to focus above all on the North American market, considered the most lively and the one with greatest potential. The plan also establishes the move away from electric mobility, with a strong push on hybrid and combustion engines. There will be four brands that will benefit most from the new economic boost:
- Fiat;
- Peugeot;
- Jeeps;
- Ram.
Among other brands, Alfa Romeo, Opel, Chrysler, Dodge and Citroën will become regional, therefore referring above all to some local markets. Lancia and DS will instead pass under the coordination of Fiat and Citroën respectively. Maserati remains pending, whose plan will be presented separately in December.
The objective to be achieved with this plan is very ambitious: to go from 154 billion euros in revenues to 190 by 2030, increasing turnover by 20% in four years.
Italian factories will not close
A key part of the plan is the reassurance that Italian factories will not close. The Stellantis factories in our country have been in production crisis for years. In 2025, around 380 thousand units were produced in our country, 20% less than in 2024. In the plan, however, Italian factories should confirm the expected models:
- Mirafiori will produce the new 500 hybrid, on which Stellantis has focused heavily for the relaunch of the Turin factory;
- Melfi was assigned one more model than in previous plans, an Alfa Romeo;
- Atessa will continue to produce the Ducato, Fiat’s best-selling van.
A plan which, however, does not hide the downsizing of the European market. Stellantis expects to produce 800,000 fewer cars on the continent each year. The plants will not close thanks to conversions and collaborations with other companies, some linked to Stellantis, such as Leapmotor and Dongfeng, or even with the Indian Tata Motors, which recently purchased Iveco.
The new car from Pomigliano and the contribution of Leapmotor
A separate discussion for Pomigliano d’Arco, one of the factories that has recently caused the most concern among workers and unions. The Campania factory mainly produces one car, the Panda, now renamed Pandina, which however is not expected to remain in production for long, given that its name is now linked to another model, the Grande Panda, assembled in Serbia.
It therefore mainly has lines dedicated to small economical cars, an archetype in crisis at the moment. It is in fact a type of car that adapts very well to the European market. However, this means that, according to EU rules, it will soon be necessary for these small cars to switch from internal combustion engines to electric ones. A transition that would increase the cost of these cars, taking away their main appeal to consumers.
However, Stellantis’ new plan provides that e-cars, therefore electric cars, costing less than 15 thousand euros will be produced in Pomigliano. They will probably be Fiat and Citroën branded, but development should be entrusted to a partner experienced in these technologies. The clues therefore point towards Leapmotor, a Chinese company owned by Stellantis which is spreading in Italy thanks to a small economical e-car, the T03.
