The Stellantis Group has just announced that its future high-end electric vehicles based on the new STLA Large platform will be manufactured in Cassino, Italy. The place where the Alfa Romeo Giulia and Stelvio and the Maserati Grecale are currently produced.
In January, Peugeot unveiled its Inception concept at CES in Las Vegas. A study prefiguring the future of the brand, whether on the design or technical side. The concept introduces the STLA Large platform, which will then be used for the high-end electric models of the Stellantis group. The latter has just announced the place of production of this platform and the vehicles that will be equipped with it.
The historic industrial site of Cassino, between Rome and Naples (Italy) was chosen by the management of Stellantis for Europe. Boss Carlos Tavares made the announcement official during a tour of the factory, which currently produces the Alfa Romeo Giulia and Stelvio and the Maserati Grecale. The assembly plant in Windsor, Canada had already been selected to serve North America.
A historic factory converted to electric
“The Cassino plant has a rich history of innovation and technology,” said Carlos Tavares during his visit. “Vehicles designed on STLA platforms will revolutionize the driving experience with cutting-edge features and capabilities. We trust the skills of our employees and site management to master our ambitious cost and quality objectives. The support of Cassino staff and the support of local and national elected officials encourage us to redouble our efforts to offer our customers clean, safe and affordable mobility. he asserted.
The Cassino factory in Piedimonte San Germano, in central-southern Italy, was inaugurated in 1972. Highly automated with more than 1,200 robots, it integrates several activities: stamping, painting, manufacturing of plastic parts… The site has halved the amount of water used since 2017 and uses energy from solar panels installed in its car parks to save resources as much as possible.
Which models on the STLA Large platform?
The STLA Large platform is one of the four electric platforms planned by the group in the coming years, with STLA Small (city vehicles such as the Fiat 500), STLA Medium (compact and family vehicles such as the Peugeot e-308/e-408) and STLA Frame ( for utilities). The STLA Large base will serve as the basis for the largest electric vehicles (between 4.80 and 5.50 m). Among the possible models, we can think of the future large SUVs from Alfa Romeo and DS, respectively above the Stelvio and DS7. Stellantis does not give a confirmation yet, and says that the details concerning the models will be communicated later.
A very large 100% electric SUV is expected on the STLA Large platform of the Stellantis group, with 800 km of autonomy promised.
This new platform will offer according to Stellantis up to 800 km of autonomy. Charging would be faster than today thanks to the 800V system, which is still not widely used (Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6, Porsche Taycan and Audi e-tron GT). Stellantis announces that it will invest more than 30 billion euros for the electrification and the software part. Finally, thanks to a modular configuration, the platform could evolve according to the needs and the battery packs used. According to initial estimates, the capacity of the batteries could exceed 100 kWh. This is more than double the current maximum battery capacities, since the latest generation of the group’s motor-battery duo offers 54 kWh (Peugeot e-208 and e-308, Jeep Avenger, Opel Mokka, etc.).
Photos : DR.
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