Stellantis, the world’s fourth largest carmaker by sales, unveiled its latest vehicle platform, ‘STLA Medium,’ signaling a shift towards electric-centric models. This platform is the first of four upcoming bases that will underpin all future vehicles produced by the company.
Following the merger of Fiat Chrysler and Peugeot maker PSA at the start of 2021, Stellantis sold approximately 6 million vehicles last year. With a vision for the future, the company plans to transition all its forthcoming products onto four new Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) platforms, namely STLA Small, Medium, Large, and Frame. The rollout commences this year with STLA Medium launching in Europe.
CEO Carlos Tavares emphasized the broad global manufacturing plans for the STLA Medium platform, stating, “It is intended to be manufactured in many countries: France, Italy, Germany, and then in North America in different locations.” Tavares also hinted at the possibility of additional locations being added later.
Stellantis announced that all the new platforms have been designed to accommodate future battery chemistries, including nickel- and cobalt-free as well as solid-state batteries. This forward-thinking approach allows Stellantis brands to customize vehicle capabilities to strike the ideal balance between cost and performance.
The versatile STLA Medium platform will support various propulsion configurations, with its full electric setup offering a standard range of over 500 kilometers, extendable up to 700 kilometers with an optional ‘performance pack.’ Stellantis boasts that the battery can be charged from 20% to 80% in just 27 minutes.
“BEV is the focus of the design of this platform,” affirmed Tavares.
Stellantis currently offers 26 models within the market segments that will be served by the STLA Medium platform. Positioned for mid-sized cars, this platform will serve as the foundation for manufacturing up to two million Stellantis vehicles annually, across multiple plants worldwide, according to the Italian-French group’s official statement.
In addition to its well-known brands such as Jeep, Ram, Alfa Romeo, Citroen, and Opel, Stellantis has set ambitious goals for its electric future. The company aims for 100% of its European passenger car sales and 50% of its U.S. passenger car and light-duty truck sales to be battery EVs by 2030.
