Tag Archives: Stellantis

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Stellantis Reports €2.3 Billion Loss in H1 2025 Amid Tariffs and Restructuring

Stellantis N.V. has released its preliminary and unaudited financial data for the first half of 2025, revealing a challenging period marked by heavy restructuring charges, global shipment declines, and mounting pressure from geopolitical headwinds such as U.S. tariffs. With full financial results set to be disclosed on July 29, these early figures already paint a picture of a company in transition — and under pressure.

The headline numbers speak volumes: net revenues for the first half came in at €74.3 billion, but that was overshadowed by a net loss of €2.3 billion. Adjusted operating income (AOI), a key profitability measure for Stellantis, stood at just €0.5 billion. Industrial free cash flow saw a steep negative swing, landing at -€3.0 billion — a stark reflection of mounting costs and declining volumes.

Transformation in Motion — But Not Yet Paying Off

According to the automaker, the lackluster first half was shaped largely by the “early stage of actions” aimed at improving long-term performance. Executives expect the second half of 2025 to benefit from a more robust product lineup, including new launches from the company’s “Smart Car” B-segment platform.

However, the real blow came from approximately €3.3 billion in pre-tax net charges. These were mostly related to program cancellations, platform impairments, and restructuring, as well as the impact of recently altered U.S. legislation eliminating the CAFE penalty rate. Though these are excluded from AOI calculations, they cast a long shadow over the company’s bottom line.

Further weighing on performance were higher industrial costs, unfavorable mix effects, volatile foreign exchange rates, and the early effects of new U.S. tariffs, which have already cost the company €0.3 billion in net tariffs and disrupted planned production.

Shipment Volumes Slump — Except in Emerging Markets

Globally, consolidated shipments for Q2 2025 stood at 1.4 million units, down 6% year-over-year. North America bore the brunt of this decline, with shipments dropping by 109,000 units, a steep 25% plunge compared to Q2 2024. This decline was largely driven by reduced imports hit by tariffs, as well as weaker fleet sales.

Interestingly, despite the production and shipment woes, U.S. retail sales held steady, and Stellantis’ two biggest North American brands, Jeep® and Ram, posted a combined 13% increase in year-over-year sales, signaling brand resilience amidst turbulence.

In Enlarged Europe, shipments dipped 6% year-over-year as the region contended with a transitional product phase. New B-segment “Smart Car” models — such as the Citroën C3, C3 Aircross, Opel/Vauxhall Frontera, and Fiat Grande Panda — are still ramping up production. Shipments of these models rose by 25,000 units over Q1, marking a 45% sequential increase.

Meanwhile, emerging markets provided a rare bright spot. Shipments in regions outside of North America and Europe rose by 71,000 units, a 22% year-over-year gain. Middle East & Africa surged by 30%, driven by demand in Türkiye and recovering markets like Egypt, Algeria, and Morocco. South America also posted robust growth, with a 43,000-unit increase led by strong sales in Argentina and Brazil, where Stellantis continues to hold a leadership position.

Looking Ahead: Turning the Corner?

With the company having suspended its financial guidance earlier this year, analysts have turned to consensus forecasts to assess performance expectations. This preliminary disclosure appears to be an effort to reset those expectations and provide transparency ahead of the July 29 earnings call, which will be hosted by new CEO Antonio Filosa and CFO Doug Ostermann.

Despite the grim numbers, Stellantis is signaling confidence that the worst may be behind it, banking on its upcoming products and strategic cost actions to deliver results in the back half of 2025. But for now, the road remains bumpy — and all eyes will be on the automaker’s ability to execute its comeback in a rapidly shifting global landscape.

Source: Stellantis

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Stellantis Bows Out of Hydrogen: A Harsh Reality Check for Fuel Cell Dreams

For years, hydrogen has hovered on the periphery of the zero-emissions conversation—a clean, powerful fuel source that’s long promised to rival battery-electric technology. But while it has stirred the imagination of engineers and futurists, its road to relevance in the automotive world has been anything but smooth. Now, one of the industry’s biggest players is backing away from the hydrogen dream.

Stellantis, the automotive conglomerate behind brands like Peugeot, Citroën, Fiat, Opel, and Ram, has officially pulled the plug on its hydrogen fuel cell program for commercial vehicles. Once touted as a forward-thinking alternative to battery-powered vans, the project has now become another casualty of economic pragmatism and political inaction.

A Vanishing Vision

Earlier this year, Stellantis was bullish about hydrogen. The company had plans to deploy eight hydrogen-powered midsize and large vans under various badges—from the Citroën ë-Jumpy and Peugeot E-Expert to the Fiat E-Scudo and Opel Vivaro. Production was set to ramp up this summer at facilities in Hordain, France, and Gliwice, Poland.

But as the economics grew more daunting and infrastructure progress lagged behind, optimism gave way to realism. According to Stellantis, the hydrogen vehicle segment “remains a niche” with “no prospects of mid-term economic sustainability.” The cost of scaling the technology and the lack of a global refueling network ultimately made the endeavor untenable.

Notably, Stellantis isn’t laying off workers at the affected production sites, and its research and development teams will pivot to projects unrelated to fuel cells. Still, the abrupt U-turn is a stark signal to the rest of the industry: even with scale, support, and ambition, hydrogen struggles to compete in today’s automotive market.

Infrastructure: The Missing Link

Even if Stellantis had forged ahead, customers would have faced a cold, hard truth—there simply isn’t enough hydrogen infrastructure to make ownership viable. Outside of a few isolated regions like parts of California, Japan, and Germany, hydrogen refueling stations are practically nonexistent. Without a concerted global push, the technology remains stranded in a limbo between promise and practicality.

Stellantis has also pointed fingers at governments, suggesting that stronger incentives and subsidies could have helped lower costs and spark adoption. But with many policy makers focused on accelerating battery EV rollouts, hydrogen has been left to fend for itself.

Not Everyone’s Giving Up

While Stellantis may be waving the white flag, not all automakers are ready to concede. Toyota remains a vocal advocate for hydrogen, doubling down on both fuel cell vehicles and experimental hydrogen combustion engines. The Japanese giant is even collaborating with BMW on a hydrogen SUV set to debut in 2028—likely based on the next-gen X5.

Hyundai continues its commitment as well, recently updating its Nexo crossover and pushing fuel cell truck development under its Xcient banner. Meanwhile, Honda is refining its next-gen fuel cell module—targeting 2027 for mass production with cost cuts and improved durability—through its joint venture with GM, Fuel Cell Systems Manufacturing LLC in Michigan.

Even in the niche performance segment, hydrogen hasn’t been written off. Alpine, Renault’s sporty sub-brand, teased enthusiasts with a hydrogen-powered V6 supercar concept, while Renault itself imagined a sleek, rear-drive wagon blending fuel cells with a rechargeable battery system.

Volkswagen’s Cold Shoulder

On the other hand, Volkswagen remains firmly unconvinced. At CES 2023, then-CEO Thomas Schäfer bluntly dismissed hydrogen as a viable solution for passenger cars, citing cabin intrusion from bulky tanks and overall inefficiency. “I don’t see this happening in this decade,” he said. “Not at Volkswagen.”

The Future: Still Hazy

As exciting as hydrogen technology may be in theory—quick refueling, zero tailpipe emissions, and impressive energy density—it continues to fall short in practice. Without the infrastructure to support it, and with battery electric vehicles getting cheaper and more capable by the year, hydrogen’s automotive future remains unclear.

Stellantis’ retreat doesn’t signal the end of hydrogen in the industry, but it certainly reinforces a hard truth: potential alone isn’t enough. If hydrogen is to carve out a meaningful role, it will need more than engineering breakthroughs—it will require a coordinated global effort in infrastructure, regulation, and consumer incentives. Until then, it risks remaining the fuel of the future… forever just out of reach.

Photo: Opel

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A Century of Ingenuity: Fiat Celebrates Dante Giacosa with Special Heritage Exhibition

As the automotive world races toward an electrified future, Stellantis turns its gaze to the past—celebrating the legacy of a man whose vision once redefined what the car could be. On the 120th anniversary of Dante Giacosa’s birth, the Stellantis Heritage Hub in Turin has unveiled a captivating exhibition in his honor, spotlighting the Italian engineer who didn’t just design cars—he revolutionized the very concept of mobility.

Housed in the evocative setting of Officina 81, part of the historic Mirafiori plant, the exhibition invites visitors on a journey through Giacosa’s most iconic creations. Ten carefully selected vehicles form the heart of the display, standing proudly at the entrance, while rarer gems—like the Prototipo 100, the precursor to the legendary Fiat 600—await discovery throughout the sprawling Heritage Hub.

A Legacy Forged in Steel and Spirit

For over four decades at Fiat, Dante Giacosa led with a design philosophy grounded in technical brilliance, simplicity, and a deep sense of social responsibility. His mission? To democratize mobility—creating cars not just for the elite, but for the everyday Italian family navigating a postwar world.

The exhibition, open through mid-September 2025, is far more than a nostalgic retrospective. It’s a recognition of how Giacosa’s work shaped Italy’s industrial fabric and influenced car design around the globe.

From the delightful Fiat 500 “Topolino”, beloved for its mouse-like charm and enduring reliability, to the groundbreaking Fiat 128—the first mass-market car with a transverse front engine and front-wheel drive—each vehicle on display marks a pivotal moment in automotive history.

Among them is the ingenious 600 Multipla, the ancestor of the modern minivan, capable of transporting six people in a car barely over three meters long. Equally emblematic is the Autobianchi A112, Fiat’s nimble answer to the British Mini, which became a youth favorite in the 1970s.

And then there’s the Fiat 126—Giacosa’s swan song—carrying the torch of the 500 into a new era, with millions rolling off the production lines in both Italy and Poland.

Celebrating the Fiat 600: 70 Years of a Revolution

2025 also marks another major milestone: the 70th anniversary of the Fiat 600. Launched in 1955, the 600 wasn’t just a car—it was a symbol of rebirth. Compact, affordable, and clever, it helped motorize a nation, bringing mobility within reach of the working class.

With a new rear-mounted engine, independent suspension, and a design focused on efficiency and economy, the Fiat 600 was a feat of engineering that resonated across generations. Over 4.9 million units were produced, with its DNA living on in models like the Fiat 850 and even early Abarth racing cars.

A 1955 first-series 600—painted in its iconic light blue—recently took part in the 2025 Mille Miglia, driven by an all-female journalist team, reminding us that these cars were not just machines, but companions in everyday life and motorsport alike.

From Sketches to Icons

Born in Rome in 1905 to Piedmontese parents, Giacosa was a mechanical engineer with the soul of a humanist. His classical education instilled a lifelong sense of proportion and clarity, which would later become hallmarks of his engineering approach.

He joined Fiat in 1928, rising through the ranks to become Technical Director by 1946. Under his leadership, Fiat created the cars that would define postwar Italy: the Topolino, 1400, 600, Nuova 500, and more.

Giacosa didn’t just design cars—he designed for life. He imagined a world where vehicles served people, where technology enhanced accessibility, and where even the smallest car could carry big dreams. He authored textbooks, registered over 60 patents, taught future engineers, and penned his memoir “I miei 40 anni di progettazione alla Fiat”—a testament to the method and meaning behind his designs.

Looking Back to Move Forward

This year, the baton is symbolically passed from Giacosa’s classics to their modern-day heirs. The all-electric Abarth 600e, Fiat’s most powerful Abarth ever, and the new Fiat 600 Hybrid took part in the 2025 Mille Miglia as support cars, bridging generations of innovation.

By revisiting Giacosa’s legacy, Stellantis isn’t just preserving history—it’s reminding us of the values that made Italian automotive design world-renowned: ingenuity, elegance, simplicity, and soul.

Visit the Exhibition

The Dante Giacosa tribute exhibition is open to the public with a standard Heritage Hub admission ticket. Visitors can explore the legendary vehicles and learn about the man whose vision continues to influence automotive design to this day.

Source: Stellantis