Stellantis N.V.

Stellantis plans to use spare production capacity in Europe by manufacturing for Chinese partners Leapmotor and Dongfeng rather than by closing plants. Specific projects are under way in Spain (Figueruelas, Villaverde) and are being discussed for Rennes in France; many agreements so far are non-binding and require feasibility studies and approvals. The group also stresses the need for additional battery factories and points to low utilization in Europe (currently around 46% of a 6.5 million capacity) and a strategy to reduce capacity by more than 800,000 vehicles by 2030. » More on heise.de

Stellantis is changing its strategy and plans to position most of its 14 brands more independently to restore distinct brand characters and create new icons. The plan requires substantial investments and more creative freedom for the brands, for example in engine and model decisions. If the reboot succeeds, the broad portfolio could deliver brand hits, but it will require persistence and larger budgets. » More on faz.net

Automaker Stellantis sold about 1.3 million vehicles in the third quarter, a decline of 1 percent year-on-year. Sales in Europe rose 10 percent, mainly due to higher demand for electric vehicles, while North America contracted 12 percent because of planned production stoppages in the summer. Production of the Astra at Opel’s main plant will be paused for two weeks for conversion and maintenance work. CEO Antonio Filosa intends to focus more on combustion engines for large SUVs and pickups in the US and concentrate investments on core brands Jeep, Ram, Peugeot and Fiat; the European division is to shrink and capacities will be cut. » More on finanzen.net