Italy won't be able to produce an entry-level electric car

While Tempers have been flaring for several months between Stellantis and Italy, here's a statement that won't ease tensions. "Italy won't be able to make an entry-level electric car". is a phrase uttered by Nicolas Dufourcq, CEO of BPIFrance, a 6 % shareholder in Stellantis, and a non-executive director of Stellantis since 2021.

It was during an interview given by Nicolas Dufourcq to the BFMBusiness channel, on the subject of "Reindustrializing France" that the subject of Italy was raised by the journalist. Nicolas Dufourcq denied that Italy "has been forgotten" by the automaker, as the Italian government believes. Carlos Tavares is doing what he can to build a global group, taking into account the relative competitiveness of different countries. I think it's fair to say that Italian competitiveness is not such that we can manufacture an entry-level electric vehicle in Italy".

Nicolas Dufourcq confirms what we already knew. The future electric Fiat Panda will be made in Serbia, the Fiat 600 and Alfa Romeo Junior are made in Poland, and the Lancia Ypsilon is made in Spain. That leaves only the exceptional 500 electricOnce again, with its image, platform, motor and battery. A model which, if born under Stellantis, would probably also be made in Poland. And with this statement, the entire future Fiat range raises the question of production location.

To reassure Italy, in addition to the Battery Technology Center and e-DCT gearbox projects, there are still the Maseratis, the Alfa Romeo Tonale, but above all the future Alfa Romeo Giulia and Stelvio, as well as future Ds, Lancia and Opel models to be made in Italy, models whose selling price will be higher than that of entry-level electric cars.