“A mirafiori we could produce three times what we are producing now of Fiat 500e. The limit is not due to Mirafiori's production capacity or battery packs, but to the shortage of other components, which are subject to the supply of semiconductors". He said it Carlos Tavares, CEO of Stellantis, in a press conference at Mirafiori. “In 2021 we produced 45 units at Mirafiori, we could easily make double that and organize ourselves to make triple that. There is no bottleneck for production capacity”, Tavares reiterated, explaining that “we are working with suppliers to improve the situation” and “if we resolve this we could strengthen our leadership” in Europe in sales of the electric Fiat 500.
500e is the best-selling Bev in Europe
“If we manage to solve the supply problems we will be able to do much more for the diffusion of Fiat 500e, which is the best-selling Bev in Europe – Tavares said again – We are in the position of being able to sell many more, but we depend on the availability of some components but we are trying to solve these problems. Thanks to the work of Mirafiori employees, the quality of the 500e has been increased to the highest European and world standards".
Tavares: "Decisions on energy production by the end of the month"
As for the "strategic decision" on energy production or to make the plants more autonomous, Tavares assured that it will be "made by the end of the month and we could also make several different strategic choices. It is very clear that even if we are making production sites more compact, we are talking about very large areas and large roofs, which we will be able to use to produce energy, not just with solar plants. If there is a shortage of electricity, the sector that suffers the most is the industrial sector and I must maintain the sustainability of my business”.
In this context, Stellantis has various “projects to produce energy within our production sites – continued Tavares – There are many projects, we can accelerate and expand these projects. We can do it alone or with partners, who can invest half of it and then earn by selling energy, or through partnerships with energy companies. We are in discussions with several energy companies and investors." The current energy crisis, continued Tavares, "was like a wake up call and I have to protect my people and my company, producing energy to keep the business sustainable".
Marsiaj: "Important investments"
"The important investments for Mirafiori and for other Italian factories announced by Carlos Tavares and which will join the production of Maserati and 500 Bev are excellent news", declared Giorgio Marsiaj, president of the Turin Industrial Union on the investments announced today by Stellantis. And that "Turin and Piedmont, in the wake of an over XNUMX-year-old tradition, will continue to play a leading role in the strategy of the Stellantis group and therefore in the European automotive supply chain".
“Every euro invested in innovation, skills and technologies will also have a significant impact on other productive sectors. Growth and work are our priorities, also through a positive and profitable use of the funds of the PNRR”, concluded Marsiaj.
