FCA to invest 1 billion euros in Pomigliano

[Bili]

This morning FCA held a meeting with Italian Unions. The following is the press release made by FIM CISL Union.

It's important to note that this is a part of a 5 billion investments for Italian factories in 2019-2021 period and which was given by FCA late last year.

Here is a press release translated by Google translate:


Press release

Statement by the General Secretary Fim Cisl Marco Bentivogli

Fim Cisl: BENTIVOGLI, Fca Pomigliano, an investment close to one billion euros for the production of the Alfa Romeo C-UV and the Hybrid Panda version. Investments must also be accelerated on Cassino, Mirafiori and Modena

Today at the Ministry of Labor a meeting was held between the trade unions with the management of FCA for the renewal of the social shock absorber expiring in September.

The most important news that emerged from the comparison to the Ministry, as well as the renewal of the social shock absorber for another 12 months is certainly the announcement of the works for the construction of the new C-UV Alfa Romeo model and the Hybrid version of the current Panda.

The new Alfa Romeo model that returns to Pomigliano after 10 years and the continuation of the production of the Panda also in a mild-hybrid version in 2020 throws all the prerequisites for the definitive relaunch of the Partenopeo site which today employs around 4500 employees.

An investment of around 1 billion already started in August with the installation of next-generation robots for painting. Investments that will affect all the areas and departments of the plant over the next few months.

From the revamping of the molding department to the new assembly department currently in disuse accompanied by a training project for all workers.

The launch of a new FCA model in a context of strong industrial contraction in our country is an important signal of counter-trend especially in the automotive sector.

A turnover of the automotive industry in Italy, which in 2018 was 93 billion euros, equal to 5.6% of the GDP, 5,700 companies and 250 thousand employees, 7% of the entire workforce of the Italian manufacturing industry.

Now it is essential to give legs also to the other investments envisaged by the industrial plan presented at Balocco and then at Mirafiori to relaunch also other Italian sites starting from Cassino, Mirafiori and Modena

Rome, 4 September 2019

Fim Cisl National Press Office


BENTIVOGLI, Fca Pomigliano, investimento vicino al miliardo di euro per la produzione del C-UV Alfa Romeo e della Panda versione Ibrida. Necessario accelerare investimenti anche su Cassino, Mirafiori e Modena

 

[DodgeFL]

I wonder where FIAT found the big bucks to do this ?

 

[Bili]

Sell the family silverware? Besides EMEA or LATAM business are not in the red. That's enough.

 

[pumadog]

Will the Panda get a MCA with the hybrid version? It's 7 years old already, no NCAP stars anymore!

 

[Bili]

@pumadog

Dunno will it be MCA but both Panda and 500 will receive GSE N3 with 12V BSG MHEV system and AFAIK that will be a base engine and will substitute 1.2 12v FIRE.

 

[KrisW]

Panda with modern driver assistance systems (lane-depart, autonomous braking, blind-spot monitoring) would jump back to three stars (the 500 has a three-star rating). EuroNCAP changed their scoring system so that a "fail" in technical aids (or any other section) results in zero stars, and some Pandas are sold with no ADAS hardware. Some work would be needed to get Panda through the new "pole" crash testing, but that work would be shared with the more profitable 500.

Good to see 1.2 FIRE retired. It was a great engine in its time, but it was hamstrung by Euro6. But then again, maybe I shouldn't be so hard on the 1.2 - I had a Toyota iA with the Mazda 1.3 (I think) earlier this month in Texas, and it made the 500 1.2 I had in Italy in June seem like a race-car by comparison: I have never driven a new car that had such poor acceleration...

 

[Deckard Cain]

I think that desicion from EuroNCAP to give no stars if no electronic nannies are included is beyond retarded...

 

[Bili]

And now some cars like Pug 208 II and Jeep Cherokee MCA had received 4 stars due to 56% score on pedestrian impact test. That's ridiculous.

 

[pumadog]

Yes, but it is what it is. People only see the stars.

 

[KrisW]

I think it's fine to lose scores because of pedestrian-impact testing - I'd even like a cyclist test added too (even though I don't even own a bike). That's still about testing safety in an impact.
I'd like to see the driver-assist separated into a different score, and leave the main score as an impact survival score.

@pumadog - I don't know if they do, really. Panda just posted one of its best-ever sales years, and that was after being widely publicised as a "zero-star" car. I think people are smart enough to realise that cars get safer as each new model comes out, but the same model doesn't become unsafe just because EuroNCAP changed the way they count.

Also, your chances of being in a crash are much lower now too. The actual incidence of car accidents has come down steadily, but since 2013 we're seeing the effects of in-car distraction (i.e., people looking at their phones instead of the road) counteracting improvements in highway design, car safety and drink-driving enforcement. Perhaps the first manufacturer to fit a phone signal jammer to their car cabins will get an extra star on a future NCAP test...

 

[Deckard Cain]

I think it's fine to lose scores because of pedestrian-impact testing - I'd even like a cyclist test added too (even though I don't even own a bike). That's still about testing safety in an impact.
I'd like to see the driver-assist separated into a different score, and leave the main score as an impact survival score.

Exactly this.
They should separate it in different ratings.