FCA Restarts Its Melfi Assembly Plant – Home of the Renegade & Compass:

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles’ (FCA) Melfi Assembly Plant is the production home of the Jeep® Renegade (for the European and North American markets) and the Jeep Compass (for the European market). With Italy being one of the hardest-hit countries with the COVID-19 (or Coronavirus) pandemic. The Melfi facility was one of the plants that were shut down during the early part of the pandemic. Now the plant has restarted production. 

The production activities in Melfi were restarted in compliance with the safety regulations in accordance with Italian law and with the utmost attention to the health of the FCA workers. The Melfi staff were supplied with over 4,000 protection kits complete with gloves, masks, and glasses. The plant also added sanitization kits to its workstations and similar to the protocols taken at the Sevel plant we discussed almost two weeks ago. 

With the Jeep Renegade and Compass being two of the most important products in the Jeep brand’s global portfolio, the Melfi restart is key to continue the iconic brand’s success. The Renegade which started production in September 2014 (as a 2015 model), was the first Jeep SUV to be solely produced outside the United States. More than a million have been sold globally since its inception. In 2019 in Italy and Europe, it represented 51% and 48% of the brand’s sales respectively, confirming the first Jeep model for sales with a growth of 10% compared to the same period of 2018.

The Jeep Compass has been a global phenomenon for the Jeep brand. Produced in Mexico, Brazil, China, India, and now also in Italy, Jeep Compass, is truly a global model and boasts a very special bond with the EMEA region and in particular with Europe. Launched in 2017, the Compass was the first Jeep model designed specifically for the global market. 

Currently, the resumption of activities has reopened the research and development areas of the plug-in electric hybrid versions of the new 2020 Jeep Renegade and Compass, which are the first Jeep brand vehicles using the new 4xe nameplate. The new models are a new chapter of the brand’s legendary history, in continuity with the brand’s founding values (freedom, adventure, authenticity, and passion). 

FCA released a new video celebrating the restart of the production of the Melfi plant, this past week.