A possible rapprochement between Stellantis and Chery, the Chinese automotive giantis keeping the Italian automotive panorama in suspense.
At the center of the indiscretions, reported by the newspaper “Il Giornale”, the future of Stellantis plant in Melfi.
“Chinese emissaries would have visited the Termini Imerese site, in Sicily, closed in 2011 – writes “il Giornale” – but no developments due to logistical and infrastructural deficiencies. This is why they are now thinking of Melfi.”
These are the rumors reported by the southern newsstand:
“The The Melfi site boasts several features that make it an attractive site for the Chinese giant Chery:
- strategic position in southern Italy with excellent connections to European and African markets,
- qualified workforce with a long automotive tradition,
- modern infrastructure and cutting-edge technologies suitable for the production of electric vehicles.
The Chinese giant is looking for a second production site in Europe after the one in Barcelona, opened to assemble 150,000 vehicles per year.
Chery’s interest in Italy is confirmed by the visit of Vice President Charlie Zhang, who praised the beauty of the country and its automotive tradition.
Stellantis, led by Carlos Tavares, recently invested 1.5 billion euros in Leapmotor, a Chinese electric car manufacturer.
The agreement provides for the arrival in Europe of 7 electric models starting from September and the possibility of opening factories in the Old Continent to counteract duties on imports of electric cars from China.
The Minister of Made in Italy, Adolfo Urso, is committed to increasing the production of electric cars in Italy up to one million units per year.
Chery, together with Dongfeng, is one of the two Chinese manufacturers with which the minister is in negotiations.
At the moment, it’s about rumors and hypotheses.
It is not yet clear whether Chery will decide to invest in Melfi.
However, the signs of a possible rapprochement between the two giants are evident.
A possible acquisition of Melfi by Chery would represent an important step for the Italian automotive industry, with positive repercussions on employment and the territory”.
