Stellantis: Fiat engine plant workers demonstrate "engines made here have always been of good quality, unlike French engines".

In Termoli, in the Molise region of Italy, tension has risen a notch. What began as a diffuse unease has become open anger. On November 29, over a thousand people marched through the town's streets to defend the future of the Termoli engine plant. Stellantis and, more broadly, that of an entire region that has depended on this historic site for decades. Workers, local councillors, families, trade unions: an entire region mobilized to refuse a slow industrial death sentence. Behind the banners, slogans and speeches, the same concern: Termoli is losing its promises. And perhaps its future.

The gigafactory dream recedes

Until recently, Termoli was destined to become one of the symbols of Italy's industrial conversion to electric vehicles, thanks to a mega-battery factory supported by Automotive Cells Company, the joint venture between Stellantis, TotalEnergies and Mercedes-Benz. A project presented as strategic, capable of securing thousands of jobs and giving new impetus to the site. But as the months went by, postponements kept piling up. And in mid-November, a piece of information revealed by the Italian press had the effect of a sledgehammer: ACC is on the verge of definitively abandoning its Termoli gigafactory.. The causes were serious technical difficulties, financial weaknesses, an increasingly blurred industrial strategy and, above all, the disappointing performance of the Douvrin pilot plant in France.

The French plant, which has been operational since 2024, is said to have scrap rates of 15 to 20 %, production limited to around 15,000 to 20,000 battery packs by the end of 2025, and costs more than 20 % higher than those of Asian manufacturers. A model that has become difficult to defend. Meanwhile, Spain is stepping up the pace. In Zaragoza, Stellantis has already sealed a partnership with CATL to produce LFP batteries, which are cheaper, simpler and more robust than the NMC batteries used by ACC. The investment exceeds 4 billion euros, the first works have been launched, and 2,000 Chinese workers expected for construction. In Termoli, the feeling of abandonment is total.

"Here, engines have always been well made".

The November 29 demonstration crystallized this sense of injustice. Behind the union flags, the words were harsh. Very harsh. "We're not against the ecological transition," union representatives hammered home. "But not at any price. Not by sacrificing thousands of jobs. Not by letting entire regions die."

Then an even more frontal message, which left a lasting impression: "The transition will involve hybrids for another fifteen years. And these engines must be made in Termoli. [...] Engines made here have always been of good quality, unlike French engines which are proving unreliable." A sentence revealing deep resentment. Behind it lies the impression that Italy is paying for the industrial mistakes of other countries, while its production tools are gradually being taken away. In Termoli, over 1,800 families depend directly on the site. And the entire local economy depends on it indirectly. The plant is not just an employer: it's the very backbone of the town. We also heard the same talk of reliability recently at the presentation of the Fiat 500 hybrid, where it was proudly announced that the Firefly engine had a problem rate of less than 0.3 %.

A gutted factory

In the field, the signals have long been alarming. The chain for the legendary FIRE 16V engine has already been dismantled. GSE (FireFly) engines, although still in use, are running well below capacity. The GME 2.0 turbo engine looks set for partial relocation to the USA. As for the eDCT project, although confirmed for 2026, it would only concern around 300 jobs, far from compensating for the loss of a genuine large-scale industrial activity. For the unions, Stellantis' strategy lacked coherence. The decision to abandon combustion engines as early as 2030, five years ahead of the European deadline, is deemed "catastrophic". It was too abrupt a shift, poorly anticipated, and left sites like Termoli without a clear vision.