The new Jeep Renegade Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (hybrid electric vehicle) will be produced in Italy, in the FCA plant in Melfi, in view of its market launch, expected in 2020. The new car joins the classic Renegade and the 500X with internal combustion engine, already currently in production at the Lucan plant.
The investment - explains a note released by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles - dedicated to the launch of the new engine is amounting to more than 200 million euros and includes a strong commitment by FCA to train all employees on the application of this new technology. The plant facilities involved in the production will be upgraded accordingly. “The over 742.000 Renegades produced in Italy since its launch to date – said Pietro Gorlier, Chief Operating Officer EMEA Region – make the Melfi plant the ideal place and the Renegade the perfect product for the launch of the PHEV version which will further strengthen the offer of this vehicle which has already enjoyed great success”.
On June 1st, during the Capital Markets Day, FCA presented the Business Plan 2018-2022 to the financial community e one of the key messages was that electrification is one of the drivers of change most important in the strategic plan. The Renegade PHEV is one of the electrification steps in FCA's product portfolio, following the launch of the Chrysler Pacifica Minivan PHEV and the mild-hybrid e-Torque technology launched on the Ram 1500 in early 2018. By 2022, FCA will offer a total of 12 electric propulsion systems (BEV, PHEV, full-hybrid and mild-hybrid) in global architectures, with 30 different models that will mount one or more such systems.
The initiative, according to the initial reactions, was also appreciated by the unions: "The announcement of the launch of the first hybrid production lines in the world of the FCA group in Melfi with the Jeep Renegade certainly represents an important event for Italy and for the industrial future of the group in our country”, he commented Marco Bentivogli, general secretary of Fim Cisl. “The decision to start production of the hybrid versions of Jeep in Italy certainly represents a strong signal of Italy's centrality in the future strategies of the FCA Group and of the new CEO Mike Manley, in continuity with the 2018-2021 strategic plan presented by Marchionne the last June 1 in Balocco”,
“Now – added Bentivogli – it is necessary to anticipate the timing of this change facing the transition of the production of the Italian plants starting from those that produce diesel engines and components. We need to anticipate the transition by immediately opening a discussion with the company to tackle the transformation phases of the plants together to safeguard the supremacy of the Italian automotive industry and the workers”.
