As the EV segment finds itself in a tug-of-war between market demand and government regulations, automakers must adapt to avoid losing money and sales. Stellantis is keeping every option on the table, including equipping its electric models with a gasoline engine.
Stellantis CFO Natalie Knight made the announcement as she reported the automaker’s first-quarter delivery and sales results. She cited the Jeep Wagoneer S as an example: The Jeep Wagoneer S, which was presented in January 2024, will go on sale with an electric drive, but the brand has not ruled out a later expansion of the product range to include a gasoline-powered model, it is said Ward’s car. It could be a hybrid, or it could receive no electrification at all. The decision will depend on whether there is “clear demand for it in the market,” said the managing director.
Compare that to comments from new Jeep boss Antonio Filosa, who said that hybridizing the Wagoneer S is out of the question – but developing a PHEV version of the upcoming all-electric Recon is.
“I don’t want to discount the fact that we want to stay close to the consumer and if we see that there is an opportunity with the models that we first introduced as BEVs, we will look at that,” Knight said. Stellantis plans to launch 25 new models worldwide in 2024, 18 of which will be electric. However, this does not necessarily mean that they will be operated exclusively electrically throughout the entire production period.
The brands that live under the Stellantis umbrella can build a gasoline-powered version of an electric vehicle relatively easily, as many of the cars in the group’s portfolio run on a multi-energy platform. For example, the new Dodge Charger (pictured) will launch later in 2024 with an electric powertrain, but the lineup will expand in 2025 with the addition of a 3.0-liter inline-six. Across the pond, the Jeep Avenger (a small, hatchback-like crossover not designed for our market) was hyped as an all-electric model when it debuted in 2023, but quietly received a gasoline-electric hybrid powertrain in early 2024. The city-friendly one Peugeot 208 is also offered with piston or battery drive.
One of the next electric receivers of a gasoline engine could be the new Fiat 500e. The retro-style hatchback has been available exclusively as an electric vehicle since it went on sale in Europe in 2020, but due to slow sales, executives are reportedly considering converting it to a hybrid.
Like many of its competitors, Stellantis is placing an increasingly important focus on plug-in hybrid models. According to the data, the three best-selling PHEV models in the USA are the Jeep Wrangler, the Jeep Grand Cherokee and the Dodge Hornet Ward’s car.
“We are very committed to the EV market, but on the other hand we also have the flexibility to grow and go where the consumer is,” Knight said.