Stellantis, the multinational automotive manufacturing corporation, has announced that it will manufacture electric vehicles (EVs) based on the BEV-centric STLA Large platform at its Cassino assembly plant, located in central Italy. The plant, which currently produces Alfa Romeo Giulia and Stelvio, as well as Maserati Grecale, is the second facility to be publicly named as a location for STLA Large-based EVs, following the Windsor factory in Ontario, Canada.
Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares made the announcement while visiting the Cassino plant, located 80 miles south of Rome. The automaker did not reveal when the first STLA Large vehicles would enter production at the facility or provide information on the planned investments.
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Stellantis said it would share details of the vehicles that would be produced in Cassino at a later date. However, it would make sense for the automaker to build future EVs from Alfa Romeo and Maserati at the Italian plant.
“The Cassino plant has a rich history of innovation and technology. The vehicles we are designing on the STLA platforms will revolutionize the driving experience with cutting-edge features and capabilities, so we trust the skilled workers and the Stellantis site management to master our bold cost and quality targets. The support of our workforce in Cassino and the foresight of local and national officials further electrify our efforts to delight customers with clean, safe and affordable mobility.” said Carlos Tavares, Stellantis CEO.
The Cassino Assembly Plant is a highly automated facility that includes stamping, plating, painting, and plastic parts operations. It opened in 1972 and is located in Piedimonte San Germano, south-central Italy, utilizing more than 1,200 robots.
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Stellantis announced the BEV-centric STLA Large platform as one of four highly flexible architectures in 2021, with the others being STLA Small, STLA Medium, and STLA Frame. STLA Large is designed to deliver up to 500 miles of electric range and accommodate Stellantis-designed electric drive modules (EDMs) and modular battery packs with capacities ranging between 101 and 118 kilowatt-hours.
The STLA Large platform is expected to underpin future mid-size and large vehicles from Alfa Romeo and Maserati, as well as some future DS models. Reports suggest that in North America, the platform will be utilized by future Dodge Challenger and Charger muscle cars, as well as the production version of the Chrysler Airflow concept. Stellantis plans to debut its first vehicles based on the new BEV-centric platforms in 2024.
