Fiat to produce some cars in Italy

Stellantis eases its stance in the strange conflict with the Italian government by promising more Fiat Made In Italy.

Following a meeting in Turin with the main Fiat unions, Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares announced that he would build up to 150,000 units of a hybrid version of the Fiat 500e at the Mirafiori plant in Turin, Italy.

It should be noted that Stellantis has recently been involved in two standoffs with the Italian government regarding the local production of cars from Italian brands within the Stellantis Group. There was the unbelievable episode of the Alfa Romeo Milano hastily renamed Junior because it was not manufactured in Milan, let alone in Italy. Most recently, a shipment of Fiat Topolino was seized by customs because it displayed a small decorative Italian flag a few centimeters long while being produced in Morocco.

I hold you, you hold me,…

Carlos Tavares has decided that the petty quarrel has gone on long enough and that it’s time to call an end to the schoolyard brawl. Is the production of this hybrid Fiat in Turin a gift to Giorgia Meloni and her conservative clique? The plant currently produces the 500e model, but a global slowdown in sales of fully electric vehicles has forced Stellantis to significantly reduce production rates, leading to extended periods of technical unemployment for the factory workers. Therefore, it is primarily a way to get them back to work and limit losses! Sometimes a higher salary costs less than forced unemployment.

Moreover, this production will not start until at best the first quarter of 2026. And who knows what the automotive landscape will look like in 18 months.

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