Stellantis, parent company of 14 car brands, announces extensive investments in electric driving. The company is investing over €30bn in electrics and software by 2025. 70% of all Stellantis vehicles sold must be low-emission by 2030. To this end, the company is betting on four vehicle platforms. It is also opening several 'gigafactories'.
Stellantis was created by the merger of FCA and PSA, which was completed in early 2021. The brand has a total of 14 car brands: Abarth, Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Citroën, Dodge, DS, Fiat, Jeep, Lancia, Maserati, Opel, Peugeot, RAM and Vauxhall. The company announced a comprehensive electrification strategy. "The customer is always at the heart of Stellantis and our commitment with this investment plan of over 30 billion euros is to deliver iconic vehicles that offer the performance, capability, style, comfort and electric range that fits seamlessly into their daily lives," said Carlos Tavares, chief executive officer at Stellantis. "The strategy we have put in place focuses on making the right investments in the right technology to reach the market at the right time. This is how we ensure that Stellantis supports freedom of movement in the most efficient, affordable and sustainable way."
70% of low-emission models sold
The company has set itself the goal that more than 70% of all vehicles it sells in Europe have low emissions. In the United States, the percentage should be 40% for passenger vehicles as well as light vans. To support this goal, Stellantis is investing over 30 billion euros in electrification and software development.
Stellantis has a total of 14 car brands, targeting diverse customers and image. Nevertheless, the company is betting on four vehicle platforms to develop models for all its 14 brands. These platforms are as follows;
- STLA Small with a range of up to 500 kilometres
- STLA Medium with a range of up to 700 kilometres
- STLA Large with a range of up to 800 kilometres
- STLA Frame with a range of up to 800 kilometres
Among other things, the platforms are adjustable in length and width. The platforms also share components with each other. Stellantis wants to be able to produce up to two million units of each platform on an annual basis.
Three electric drive modules
In the field of propulsion, the company is also betting on standardisation. For instance, three electric drive modules (EDMs) are available that integrate the motor, gearbox and inverter. The EDMs are scalable and configurable as front-wheel drive, rear-wheel drive and four-wheel drive.
Stellantis also wants to innovate with battery technology. Two batteries are planned for 2024: a high-energy-density battery and a nickel- and cobalt-free battery. The company sets itself the goal of bringing the first competitive solid state battery to market by 2025.
Five gigafactories
Stellantis is also opening about five so-called 'gigafactories' in Europe and North America. These are aimed at producing batteries for Stellantis' vehicles. In total, the company expects a need for over 130 gigawatt hours (GWh) of capacity by 2025 and over 260 GWh by 2030. To secure the supply of lithium for these plants, the company has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with two partners in North America and Europe.
The company aims to use its technical expertise and synergies in battery production to reduce the cost of batteries. Battery packs for electric vehicles should become more than 40% cheaper in the period 2020 to 2024. By 2030, the price should then fall by a further 20%. In doing so, the company sees opportunities in a variety of areas. These include optimising the battery pack as a whole, simplifying the preparation of battery modules, increasing the capacity of battery cells and improving the chemical composition of batteries.
Also focus on hydrogen
Besides electric driving, the company is also betting on medium-sized hydrogen-powered vans. These should be available from the end of 2021 in all regions where Stellantis operates.
Author: Wouter Hoeffnagel
