No Reverse: FCA confirms the 5 billion euro investment plan foreseen for Italian factories. The CEO of Fiat Chrysler said on Tuesday, Mike Manley, speaking at the Geneva motor show. "We have completed the review of the plan that began in November - she explained - and the investments will continue as originally planned" in the 2018-2022 business plan.
In mid-January, Manley himself had warned that the ecotax could have resulted a change to the plan of investments for Italy.
For possible alliancesManley stressed that FCA has "a solid future as an independent group", but is "ready to evaluate mergers or partnerships if good opportunities present themselves".
Yesterday Bloomberg reported that the group A dog he would be looking at possible agreements with other major manufacturers, also citing the names of FCA and General Motors.
“We talk to them all the time and on many things, you know we have a joint venture with PSA,” Manley added.
Instead, the CEO denied the rumors about a possible sale of Maserati: “It is one of our beautiful brands – he said – with an incredible future”.
The speech for the brand is very different spear: “It is a national brand in Italy, due to its history and its heritage. Last year it sold about 45 thousand cars in Italy, where it is a healthy brand and where it does its best and where it will stay. Lancia is only sold in Italy and I won't start selling it in other countries".
Finally, a reflection onelectric car: “There are those who think that FCA is skeptical about electric cars. There is nothing further from reality and today's presentations prove it”.
By the end of the year – assured the CEO – the “hybrid cars you saw today, the Jeep Renegade and Compass, will go into production and the 2020 will also arrive at the beginning of 500. We have a clear plan, we need to electrify most of our lines, the announced investments are for this”. The other Renegades and the 500X are already in production in Melfi.
According to the Fim Cisl secretary, Marco Bentivogli, “the confirmation of the investment plan in Italy” is excellent news. It is also positive that all skepticism about electric has been abandoned, on which one is aware of having to transform most of the lines. The dry denial on the sale of Maserati is also important and that reflection on a strategy for future alliances or mergers at an international level is restarted".
