After the 500 and the Lancia Ypsilon, another symbolic model of the Italian automotive industry will be produced abroad. The new Point it will in fact be manufactured in Poland, on the platform of Psa, the French group with which FCA is merging, where today the Peugeot 208 and the Opel Corsa are assembled.
FCA, production of Punto moved: the merger with PSA
The new strategy would allow the birth of an electric Fiat Punto alongside the classic petrol and diesel models. FCA, however, specified that this turning point it would not be due to the current merger with PSA but to a joint venture independent of the union of the two groups.
“FCA does well to move to the more modern and efficient PSA assembly lines. The problem is another: what is this merger bringing to Italy? Nothing for now ”, commented Giorgio Airaudo, from the Fiom Piemonte secretariat.
The union between the two major automotive groups will lead to the birth of the new auto giant Stellantis, and it will also be possible thanks to the green light of government on the 6.3 billion loan from Intesa San Paolo to FCA and guaranteed by Sace, the insurance company of the Cassa Depositi e Prestiti group.
According to Ariaudo, from this merger the Italian state would have lost the opportunity to “ask in exchange for an extra model to be produced in our country”.
“The French platform – concluded the trade unionist – could also have been installed in factories such as Mirafiori o Pomigliano, ensuring a future for the employees of these two production sites. Instead, another production is taken out of Italy. “
Fca, production of Punto moved: the concerns of suppliers
Transferring production would therefore be part of a more extensive innovation plan. In fact, in the summer, FCA asked its suppliers to stop any activity related to future models of small cars, as the next generation of cars belonging to this category will be assembled on the French line. But in addition to the heir of the Punto also the new one compact suv Alfa Romeo it will be produced on a PSA platform.
The decision raised the doubts of the 60 thousand employees of the Piedmontese supply chain of components, out of concern that French suppliers will be taken into consideration in this way.
But from industrial circles they reassure that at the same time as the supply stopped, contacts were initiated with the same Italian induced to prepare the new components.
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