Stellantis announced plans to produce a new small, affordable, purely electric vehicle called the E-Car at its Pomigliano d'Arco plant in southern Italy starting in 2028 [1, 2, 3, 4]. The car targets the European market with a focus on entry-level and compact segments, which have been shrinking in recent years [1]. Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa said the E-Car aims to tap into demand for “small, stylish vehicles” built in Europe for European consumers [1].
The E-Car will offer a stripped-down, cost-efficient electric option similar to Japan’s kei cars, designed to revive Europe’s compact car segment [1]. To reduce costs and access competitive technology, Stellantis is partnering with Chinese electric automaker Leapmotor to jointly develop and produce the vehicle in Italy [3, 4]. Stellantis declined to comment on specific partners involved, and Leapmotor did not respond to inquiries [4].
The Pomigliano plant currently manufactures the Fiat Panda and will continue doing so until at least 2030 [1]. Separately, Stellantis is forming a joint venture with Dongfeng Motor to produce Voyah electric vehicles locally in Rennes, France. Stellantis will hold a 51% stake in this joint venture to help avoid EU tariffs on Chinese imports [5, 6]. The local production of the Chinese-brand EVs in France is planned to start by 2027 [6].
The Stellantis-Dongfeng tie-up is supported by a strategic cooperation agreement valued at around 80 billion RMB (about 10 billion euros) [6]. Meanwhile, the E-Car production at Pomigliano is scheduled to begin in 2028, with the aim of offering an affordable electric vehicle option made in Europe for the European market [1, 2, 3, 4].
