Fiat 500c Pop Convertible on 2040-cars

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Stellantis mega-merger gets approval from FCA, PSA shareholders

MILAN — Shareholders of Fiat Chrysler and PSA Peugeot decisively voted Monday to merge the U.S.-Italian and French carmakers to create worldÂ’s 4th-largest auto company. Addressing separate meetings, both PSA Peugeot CEO Carlos Tavares and Fiat Chrysler Chairman John Elkann spoke of the “historic” importance of the vote, which combines legacy car companies that helped write the industrial histories of the United States, France and Italy. Before the merger is finalized, shares in the new company, to be called Stellantis, must the launched. It will be traded in Milan, New York and Paris. The marriage of PSA Peugeot and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is built on the promise of cost-savings in the capital-hungry industry, but what remains to be seen is if it will be able to preserve jobs and heritage brands in a global market still suffering from the pandemic. The deal will create the worldÂ’s fourth-largest carmaker, with the capacity to produce 8.7 million cars a year, behind Volkswagen, Toyota and Renault-Nissan, and create 5 billion euros in annual synergies.  “We are fully aware of the fact that together we will be stronger than individually,'' PSA CEO Carlos Tavares told a virtual gathering of eligible shareholders. “The two companies are in good health. These two companies have strong positions in their markets.” The new company will put together under one roof French mass-market carmakers Peugeot and Citroen, top-selling Jeep and Italian luxury and sports brands Maserati and Alfa Romeo - pooling companies that have helped define the industry in the United States, France and Italy. While the tie-up is billed as a merger of equals, the power advantage goes to PSA, with Tavares running Stellantis and holding the tie-breaking vote on the 11-seat board. Tavares is set to take full control of the company early this year, possibly by the end of January. Fiat Chrysler chairman John Elkann, heir to the Fiat-founding Agnelli family and Fiat ChryslerÂ’s biggest shareholder, will be the Stellantis chairman. Fiat Chrysler CEO Mike Manley will head North American operations, which is key to Tavares' long-time goal of getting a U.S. foothold for the French carmaker he has run since 2014, and the clear money-maker for Fiat Chrysler. Such a deal was long wanted by Fiat ChryslerÂ’s long-time CEO Sergio Marchionne, who had predicted the necessity of consolidation in the industry. He was unable to find a deal before his sudden death in July 2018.

GM, Ford and FCA expected to extend coronavirus shutdown into April

U.S. automakers General Motors, Ford and Fiat Chrysler are expected to extend their current shutdown in North America into the month of April as the fight to slow the spread of the coronavirus continues. At this point, the exact dates that Detroit's Big Three automakers will restart vehicle production remains up in the air. Ford said in a statement that it does not plan to restart production until at least April 6 but warned it could be further delayed into April. United Auto Workers President Rory Gamble sent a letter to union members saying that FCA had "no plans to reopen on March 30." GM has yet to confirm its plans — its last statement said the decision when to reopen "will be reevaluated week-to-week after" March 30 — but unnamed sources told Reuters that it will also comply with Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer's order barring non-essential businesses from operating until April 13. Gamble's letter said the union is "waiting to hear from GM and are demanding that they put our membersÂ’ safety first and adhere to government and health officialsÂ’ recommendations to stay-at-home." A spokeswoman for Whitmer was unable to clarify on Tuesday whether auto production is considered essential or not. Michigan has declared vehicle sales by auto dealers to be impermissible under the order, but dealerships and other facilities can make repairs.  The UAW also said two Fiat Chrysler union members — one in Indiana and one in Michigan — have died after contracting the coronavirus. A group representing major U.S. and foreign automakers warned in a letter to U.S. lawmakers with other industry groups on Monday that, "Auto industry analysts are expecting sales to be down by as much as 40 percent in March compared to 2019." The letter said 95% of North American auto plants are currently closed. Reuters contributed to this report. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Government/Legal Hirings/Firings/Layoffs Plants/Manufacturing Chrysler Fiat Ford GM coronavirus

Fiat 500e will be Stellantis' EV test run in the U.S.

LOS ANGELES – While we're excited for the Fiat 500e's arrival in the U.S., and we think there's a clear niche for it, we still had loads of questions about what models were coming, if any changes would be made and what else might be coming for the Italian brand. And in a roundtable interview with Fiat Brand CEO Olivier Francois, we learned all that and more. So let's go over the fascinating electric future of Fiat in the U.S. The Future is 500 And when we say that it's 500, we mean only 500e. Francois revealed that, although it's not going away immediately, the 500X crossover will be discontinued when this generation reaches the end of its lifecycle. His reasoning for this move is that only one model really struck a chord with American buyers: the regular 500. He pointed out that it had, at once point, 60% of the ultra-small segment ahead of Mini. And it was successful because it was an iconic car that met a very specific niche for a very specific buyer: something small and stylish that worked well as a commuter and city car. He noted that the 500L, with a focus on practicality, wasn't something that a mainstream buyer was looking for, nor that niche buyer. And it's a similar case for the 500X. So the brand is shifting back to its most popular, core model, and it has no plans in the near term to expand beyond that. Exactly which 500e variants will be offered here is still being decided. There are three versions in Europe right now, the hatchback, soft-top and quirky three-door (with a half-door on the passenger side a la Mazda MX-30). They will be joined by a sporty Abarth version soon. Francois noted that they could start with one version and offer others later, or perhaps the hatch and convertible simultaneously. The three-door seems unlikely, as there isn't much demand for such a small car with a marginally easier-to-access rear seat. The Abarth is something Francois said he would like to offer here (and we would love to accept), but that will likely be determined by how well this new Fiat strategy works. He did say that any of them could be offered, but it depends on the brand's success and strategy. One interesting tidbit that could complicate the convertible is that the most successful states for the 500 were California and Florida, which are both states were convertibles don't do great.