Who beats Italy: Chery goes to Spain and Stellantis threatens again

Here’s the latest news from the Italian car industry: Chinese Chery seems to favor Spain for its European plant and Tavares of Stellantis returns to attack the executive.

Within hours the position of the Italian government became difficult again. In fact, it was enough that the rumor started to spread that Chery, one of the “champions” of the car identified by the executive to hold Stellantis driven by. Carlos Tavaresnow it has reached a high level of negotiations with Spain because a deal was arranged Georgia Meloni e Adolfo Urso it would crumble quickly. But let’s go in order.

DISASTEROUS NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT OF MELONI AND TAVARES

The Italian government repeats as a mantra to Stellantis that at least one million three hundred thousand vehicles produced annually in our country are needed to protect the entire supply chain. A goal that Stellantis doesn’t seem to have any intention of reaching and which is getting further and further away from year to year.

According to the latest data from Fim-Cisl, in the first quarter of 2024, 170,415 units were produced, including cars and commercial vans, compared to 188,910 in 2023. Car production alone marks a fall of 23.8% and marks these numbers per year. it will mean that, if everything goes well, a total of 630 thousand units. Below the “waterway” shown by the executive.

FROM TESLA TO CHERY: FOREIGN BUSINESSES OVERVIEWED BY THE GOVERNMENT

And in fact, even if Stellantis refuses to call them layoffs, major reductions are taking place within the Italian workforce, the direct result, the executive claims, of the choice to transfer elsewhere the Fiat models that were once produced in our country such as the Algerian 500 . , Serbian Panda, Moroccan Topolino and Polish 600.

For this reason, the government told Tavares that if Stellantis is not in the party, it will turn to foreign organizations. Engagement of Georgia Meloni e Matteo Salvini a Elon Musk (Tesla owner) is clear, but under the surface contact has also been made with various Chinese companies (the shame of the government here is clear, so the conversation was not given the same appearance). A good paradox for a service named “Made in Italy”.

▶️ MATTEO SALVINI PRAISES ELON MUSK, THANKS HIM ON TWITTER.

Matteo #Salvini: “Elon Musk is an interesting person. As Minister of Infrastructure it would be very convenient for me to have a tool like Starlink in places now… pic.twitter.com/durUmf4oBa

— Lega – Salvini Premier (@LegaSalvini) April 4, 2024

HAS URSO AND MELONI LOST THE CHAMPION OF CHINA?

It seemed to be done at least for Chery, which has had our country on its radar before Meloni’s government began courting it, but in the past few hours the dreams of the Italian executive have been interrupted by rumors coming from the Iberian peninsula. The Chinese, in fact, while taking their time with Rome (but there are also those who say that the opposite happened, that is, that the executive did not give the assurances requested) continued to negotiate with the Spaniards.

The Spanish press is even talking about “negotiations in the final stage”, so in the end the choice of management of Chery seems to fall on the former Nissan factory in Barcelona. The Iberian Ministry of Industry has even already hinted that the agreement could be formalized in the next few days. In addition to taking over the factory that had been shut down by the Japanese in 2021, the Chinese manufacturer will participate in a broad project aimed at restoring production equipment and hiring part of the 1,600 workers who were once employed by the Yokohama company.

TAVARES DOESN’T TRUST THE MELON GOVERNMENT

For the microphone Four wheels Tavares clearly says that he has plans for each Italian production center but still prefers not to make them public “since some politicians flirt and have appointments with our Chinese competitors, I hesitate to make them public because I don’t want my plans to end up on the Director’s desk A competitor’s executive ”.

Later, in a press conference, the Portuguese manager softened the register a little but not the content: “If I were in the shoes of the Italian Government – emphasized the number 1 of Stellantis – I would find a way to help the industry instead of creating more problems”.

In short, Stellantis traces the path towards the entry of the Chinese in Italy: “We are the leaders in the car and light commercial market, the Chinese players in Italy would attack us and this could have a negative impact on Italian industries”. “We – he shouted at Palazzo Chigi – are ready to fight our competitors, but then everyone must take their responsibility”.

So Tavares called the rumor about the separation of Stellantis from our country as false information: “Italy is the only country to have two new platforms made by Stellantis”, he says before listing the ‘tricolor’ projects starting from the new production area. Mirafiori intended for the delivery of hybrid models, an investment of 100 million to improve the batteries of the electric Fiat 500 and then assures by saying that he does not want to sell Maserati, even if the end of the Levante has prevented Mirafiori.

“We feel at home in Turin and Italy. We are talking to the trade unions that represent 80% of the workers, and we are signing several agreements with them. It is a constructive union.” Furthermore, Tavares reiterates his commitment to produce one million cars in Italy.

URSO AND UNION DO NOT BELIEVE IN STELLANTIS

But there are no more, three hundred thousand less than those shown by Urso, who in fact repeats as a mantra that “Italy is the only European country to have one manufacturer, with a huge gap between cars sold and produced in Italy. This lack must be filled.”

From this point of view there is an unprecedented convergence between the top executives and the representatives of the workers who seem to be unconvinced by the announcements of Tavares. “For Turin it is important to increase the model of the mass market for 500 bev and bring the launch of Maserati, only in this way the number will increase,” the FIM secretary said, Ferdinand Uliano.

For Edi Lazzi e Samuel Lodi of Fiom: “The information on the main situation of our country for Stellantis is not confirmed by the choices and decisions that go in this direction. No guarantee is given on production, propagation of plants and employment.”