Stellantis appears to have decided upon the future of its 14 car brands, as speculation has been rife in recent times over what it will do with them. The automotive giant is giving its brands a massive restructure, as well as introducing new investment and revealing more about partnerships it has made with the likes of Jaguar Land Rover.
The automotive umbrella did so at the FaSTLAne 2030 event at Investor Day at its North American headquarters in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The discussions revealed that four of its global brands will recieve up to 70 percent of future investments, with two of them being American brands.
However, have no fear, because none of its brands face the axe, and the company does not intend to do so in the near future. Some of the companies will be managed within other brands as well, while Stellantis announced big news for the future of Maserati as it pivots towards a more luxurious future.
In fact, it isn’t the only brand that has a new future ahead of it. Chrysler and Dodge have suffered in recent times, and there were fears over the future of both brands. Thankfully, this update answers those questions and throws both companies a lifeline.
What Lies in Store for Stellantis’s American Brands
Dodge and Chrysler have had their future in question for some time now. The roster of what both brands offer has depleted as time has gone on, and many feared that the two names would disappear altogether. However, that isn’t the case, as the two fall under the ‘five regional brands’ segment, which also includes Citroen, Opel, and Alfa Romeo.
Stellantis said all five brands have been “very strong in their respective markets,” and that they will all benefit from the same global assets and brand identity as every other company in the wider umbrella. By the end of this decade, the company wants to launch over 60 new vehicles to the roster, as well as at least 50 refreshes of currently available vehicles. Of these, 29 will be battery-electric, 15 plug-in hybrid or range-extended vehicles, plus 24 hybrids and 39 ICE or mild hybrids.
A whole host of new models are planned to be launched in the United States by 2030. For Chrysler, this will include the Airflow, Arrow, and Arrow Cross. Dodge will launch an SRT Copperhead and the GLH, which also includes an SRT variant. From Jeep, we have the Wrangler Scramble, plus the SRT variant, and Ram will see a new Rampage launched, plus a Dakota and Ramcharger, both with an SRT variant. The Dodge GLH is expected to be a midsize muscle vehicle, and the SRT Copperhead will act as a halo car.
New Platforms Will Dominate the Stellantis Lineup
At FaSTLAne 2030, Stellantis also confirmed that three new vehicle platforms are set to dominate its future lineup. Around 50 percent of the vehicles the company produces will be on these three platforms by 2030. One of those is the new modular STLA One platform, designed to maximize commonality between the various manufacturers under the Stellantis umbrella.
Artificial intelligence is also set to form a large part of the brand’s future. Three new technology groups, the STLA Brain, SmartCockpit, and AutoDrive, are all planned to be included in new cars by 2030 as well. Interestingly, Stellantis also said it will continue to allow a ‘freedom of choice’ when it comes to powertrains, as firm a sign as any that fully electrifying the lineup isn’t on the cards right now.
The American Workforce Is Safe
While some factories have seen cuts, Stellantis is not going to do the same in America. There is currently no talk of downsizing plants in the United States, and it fully expects production in the country to increase by 2030. In fact, you might see brands such as Jaguar Land Rover have their cars produced in American plants. This is in contrast to Europe, where capacity could be seriously reduced.