Stellantis is compelled to temporarily halt production of the Fiat 500e electric city car. Persistent low demand for the vehicle has necessitated another production hiatus at the Mirafiori plant in Italy. This marks the latest in a series of suspensions at the factory, with previous interruptions occurring throughout the year.
The latest production pause is scheduled to commence on December 2nd and extend until January 5th, 2025. This decision follows an earlier announcement of a December 18th to January 5th shutdown. The combined duration of these halts will significantly impact the production of the Fiat 500e.
The issue of sluggish demand is not confined to the Fiat 500e. Maserati, another Stellantis brand, is grappling with similar challenges for its GranTurismo and GranCabrio models. The company's CEO, Carlos Tavares, has attributed Maserati's poor sales performance to ineffective marketing strategies.
Stellantis has cited "continuing uncertainty in sales of electric cars in several European markets" as the primary reason for the production curtailment at the Mirafiori plant. The facility, which predominantly manufactures electric vehicles, will be significantly impacted by this decision.
Furthermore, the low demand for luxury cars in key markets like the United States and China has prompted Stellantis to temporarily halt production of Maserati models.
In an effort to revitalize sales of the Fiat 500, Stellantis is considering introducing a combustion engine variant. A hybrid 500 is slated for production in 2026 at the Mirafiori plant. This move is intended to cater to consumers who prefer traditional powertrains.
Interestingly, the previous-generation Fiat 500, which debuted in 2007, continues to be sold in certain markets with gasoline engines. The high-performance Abarth variant of the previous-generation model is also still available. However, Abarth, Fiat's performance division, has announced its intention to transition to an all-electric future.