Chinese Automakers May Force Stellantis To Close Italian Factory

Previously, the Italian government said it was negotiating with Tesla and Chinese automakers including Chery to attract one of them to produce cars in Italy, thereby increasing Italy's auto production after years of declining production. "If someone wants to introduce

competition from China in Italy, we may have to make some unpopular decisions, and those people would We need to take responsibility for this. If we are under pressure, the only thing we can do is to speed up our efforts and improve our production efficiency, so as to improve our competitiveness."

Tavares said that introducing other car companies may cause Stellantis to lose market share and sales will also be affected. He said: "So many factories may no longer be needed. We are ready to fight, but there will be casualties in the battle." Tavares also said that speculation that Stellantis plans to divest from Italy is "fake news." "We are investing heavily in Italy," he said. Tavares has run into friction with the government in recent months over Stellantis Group's production levels in Italy.

Tavares has announced that Stellantis will extend production of its best-selling Fiat Panda petrol model until 2030 to provide customers with an affordable model. The combustion engine version of the Panda, built in Pomigliano d'Arco near Naples, was due to cease production in 2027, with an electric version expected to be released later this year.