In a setback for Stellantis, the Mirafiori Assembly Plant in Italy has hit the brakes on production again, dealing a blow to workers and the company’s ambitious targets. After a brief return to work following a production hiatus from December 18th to January 15th, employees were hit with the news of an additional three-week layoff.
Mirafiori, known as the production heart for four iconic Maserati models – the Ghibli, Quattroporte, GranTurismo, and Levante – finds itself in a challenging situation. Despite its critical role in Maserati’s lineup, the plant has struggled to meet production goals. The facility was slated to churn out 100,000 vehicles in 2023 but fell short, managing only 80,000 units.
The plant’s significance extends beyond Maserati, as it also houses the production of the 500e, Fiat’s popular electric city car. Despite being home to five different vehicle models, Mirafiori continues to grapple with production challenges.
To adapt to shifting market demands, Stellantis is gearing up for a temporary halt in production from February 12th to March 3rd. This decision comes as the eagerly awaited 500e prepares to launch in both the U.S. and Canada.
The struggles at Mirafiori underscore the complexities faced by automakers in the ever-changing landscape of the automotive industry.
Robert S. Miller is a diehard Mopar enthusiast who lives and breathes all that is Mopar. The Michigander is not only the Editor for MoparInsiders.com, 5thGenRams.com, and HDRams.com but an automotive photographer. He is an avid fan of offshore powerboat racing, which he travels the country to take part in.
The shifting market is simple, few people want electric cars and Stellantis refuses to dump their 2030 plan. Look at Chicago, freezing temperatures has turned it into, and I quote, “an electric vehicle graveyard” as Tesla and other electrics are abandoned everywhere and the batteries won’t accept a charge. They need certain temperatures to charge, no joke. Guess they forgot to tell potential suckers, opps, excuse me, buyers that might happen. As word is spreading on these paper weights on wheels that shrinking market will keep shifting and guess what, that 2030 plan will be as dead as those electric cars in Chicago. Time to pull the plug.
The shifting market is simple, few people want electric cars and Stellantis refuses to dump their 2030 plan. Look at Chicago, freezing temperatures has turned it into, and I quote, “an electric vehicle graveyard” as Tesla and other electrics are abandoned everywhere and the batteries won’t accept a charge. They need certain temperatures to charge, no joke. Guess they forgot to tell potential suckers, opps, excuse me, buyers that might happen. As word is spreading on these paper weights on wheels that shrinking market will keep shifting and guess what, that 2030 plan will be as dead as those electric cars in Chicago. Time to pull the plug.
I saw that... its been bitter here in Detroit too. Windchill has been -9 for the past couple of days.
Somebody forgot to tell the lady in our neighborhood that EVs don't work in cold weather. She was driving around in her Nissan Leaf as usual. It was well below zero degrees Fahrenheit Monday and there she was at McDonalds. Electric city cars still make a lot of sense. There is a video on Youtube of someone taking a previous generation Fiat 500e a few years ago in even colder temperatures. The smaller EVs can be charged overnight at home, from a standard outlet. A larger battery pack which depends on high speed charging is more vulnerable to such weather related troubles because both the vehicle and charging station are affected by frigid temperatures.
I saw that... its been bitter here in Detroit too. Windchill has been -9 for the past couple of days.
In other news this week, Ram has officially announced the ProMaster EV. I received a couple of emails. I find the timing comical, but I'm bullish on both the Fiat 500e and the electric ProMaster.
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