Stellantis owned Fiat is reportedly planning to build a hybrid variant of its 500 at its Mirafiori plant in Turin.
Reuters reported that the decision follows a meeting between Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares and Italian labour union representatives amid concerns over sluggish sales of the all-electric 500e model made at the plant.
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“Carlos Tavares recalled the importance of offering affordable and high-quality cars for Italian customers,” Stellantis said in a statement, according to the Reuters report.
The report also noted that Italy’s government and Stellantis are in talks over a plan aimed at restoring the group’s production in Italy to a target of 1m vehicles pa by the end of the decade – was 750k last year. The report also said Stellantis is aiming for total annual output of 200,000 Fiat 500s, including 125,000 hybrids, compared with fewer than 80,000 in total last year.
