Stellantis is exploring the potential to manufacture as many as 150,000 affordable electric vehicles annually in Italy with its Chinese partner Leapmotor. This could happen as early as 2026 or 2027 at a historic Fiat plant in Mirafiori, Turin, according to Automotive News Europe, citing two people familiar with the matter. The world’s third-largest automaker by revenue is preparing for possible production at the facility, set to suspend the production of Maserati Levante crossovers by the end of March and no longer make petrol-powered Fiat New 500 after late 2026, the report said. During an earnings call last week, Stellantis Chief Executive Carlos Tavares told investors the automaker could produce Leapmotor cars in Italy “if there was a good business case for that.” The Franco-Italian automaker completed its €1.5 billion (nearly $1.6 billion) investment for a roughly 20% stake in the Zhejiang-based and Hong Kong-listed EV startup in November. [Automotive News Europe]
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