#Stellantis

Contract negotiations between Detroit automakers and the UAW resumed over the weekend with union leadership signaling that little progress had been made. Despite Stellantis having matched the 20-percent raises offered by GM and Ford over the weekend, UAW President Shawn Fain has said the overall agreements remain unsatisfactory.

As mentioned in our earlier coverage, the union is seeking a 40 percent raise across the board through 2027 — resulting in roughly $25 an hour (around $52,000 per year) for starting employees. Some of the benefits, many of which had been rolled back as concessions during the 2008 financial crisis, are also sticking points. Fain wants workers to see those benefits restored, claiming the industry can easily afford them.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued a stop-drive notice for plug-in versions of the Dodge Hornet and Alfa Romeo Tonale. Vehicles are alleged to pose a fire risk due to improperly installed battery connections. Stellantis and the NHTSA have warned that this could result in a fire hazard even when the vehicle is parked. 

After weeks of speculation over whether the UAW and Big Three automakers would come to an agreement, we have our answer: They didn’t. Last night, the Union launched a strike against Ford, GM, and Chrysler/Stellantis, taking almost 13,000 workers off production lines and factory floors across the country.

Last week, Stellantis slid the United Auto Workers (UAW) a contract proposal that would raise hourly workers' pay by 14.5 percent over the next four years. The deal is roughly on par with the 15 percent initially offered by Ford and 16 percent from General Motors. It likewise said it would provide workers $10,500 in inflation-related bonuses while GM offered $11,000 at GM and Ford said it could swing $12,000. Though Stellantis doesn’t appear to be offering any contract ratification bonuses, whereas others manufacturers said they’d be happy to throw in another $5,500.

On Wednesday, Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares suggested that Tesla’s profitability was on the decline due to the automaker having to confront some of the issues of a legacy manufacturer.

"They are entering my world, the world of tight pricing, cost competitiveness, and the operational issues that a big company like ours may face," Tavares told the press during a presentation of Stellantis’ half-year financial report. 

Since everyone loves a little industrial drama, the statement became national news. But is Tesla really on the decline because it’s finally on the level of other multinational automakers or is Tavares just coping? 

Tesla’s Supercharger network seems to have taken over the world, with several major automakers recently announcing a shift to the standard in the coming years. However, that hasn’t stopped many others from banding together to form their own charging network, including some who signed on with Tesla.

The very Italian marque Fiat continues to roll out new products – in markets not named North America, of course. This time, we learn it is launching the all-electric 600e, sized larger than the 500e since it is intended to play in the B-segment. 

And by “very Italian”, we, of course, mean its newest vehicle shares structure with a Jeep.

Stellantis is reportedly no longer allocating gasoline-only vehicles to the fourteen states with leadership that has agreed to adhere to the emission standards set by the California Air Resources Board (CARB). While the rules exceed federal standards, they’ve been embraced by coastal regions and beginning to influence how the industry does business. 

For Stellantis brands (e.g. Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat, Jeep, Ram, etc.) this means dealer allocation will prioritize powertrains based on how restrictive the local emissions standards happen to be.

Expect to soon see another entrant in the rapidly expanding unibody compact truck segment. Stellantis has thrown covers off its Ram Rampage for the Brazilian market, and camouflaged examples have been spotted testing in America.

Normally we don’t pay mind to a C-Suite reshuffle, because most of these executive title changes are either part of a never-ending game of musical chairs or a last-ditch effort to rearrange the Titanic’s deck chairs before the thing sinks. But this one grabs our attention for one very good reason: The guy now in charge of Ram fostered the development of a 1,000+ hp muscle car.

The world is becoming friendlier for people with disabilities, but companies are constantly looking for ways to make their products more accessible for everyone. Stellantis recently issued a software update that makes its vehicles alert passengers to nearby emergency vehicles, making driving safer for hearing-impaired vehicle owners. 

With the exception of the Jeep 4xes that have hit the market in recent years, Stellantis has seemed behind the curve when it comes to electrification. Sure, the Dodge Hornet offers a PHEV powertrain, as does the Alfa Romeo Tonale. And the Dodge Daytona concept previews an EV shift.

On the other hand, Chrysler is hitting the reset button on its EV plans. The Airflow concept won't be the company's first EV.

With the Chrysler Airflow debuting during the CES expo in 2022, practically everyone assumed it would be the brand’s first all-electric model. The concept looked more like a prototype than some fantastical model intended for production decades down the road and even came with a limited spec sheet offering figures that seemed to exist within the confines of reality.

But it’s not the vehicle the brand intends to lead with. Stellantis’ chief design officer, Ralph Gilles, has confirmed that Chrysler’s new CEO, Chris Feuell, wanted something completely different that would differentiate the brand from everything else on the market.

The brand from Italy rolls into the next model year with a trio of models under its finely crafted leather belt, starting with the new Tonale and followed by the Giulia sedan plus Stelvio crossover. Fresh off the line are Competizione variants of the latter two, in addition to trims marking a centenary date.

After a long period of hiring and widespread labor shortages, some companies are looking to cut back on staff to prepare for uncertain economic times ahead. Earlier this month, we learned that thousands of GM employees took the company’s offer for a buyout, which helped it avoid mass layoffs. Now it’s Stellantis’ turn, as the automaker is offering money to lure around 3,500 hourly workers out of their jobs.