Stellantis isn’t ignoring EVs, but it isn’t ready to move on from internal combustion if that’s what its customers want. Company CFO Natalie Knight told WardsAuto that while the automaker’s upcoming EVs, like the Jeep Wagoneer S, could land first as electric-only, they could be revised later to include a hybrid or gas-only option if there’s enough demand.
Knight noted that Stellantis wants to send a message that it’s not shy about electrification but said that it will have to walk the line between progress and appealing to its customers. She also pointed out that 18 of Stellantis’ 25 upcoming vehicle launches will land first as EVs.
The automaker’s platform development supports this, as it will offer vehicles riding on foundations that can handle a range of propulsion technologies.
“So, the majority of our products are either ICE vehicles or intended to utilize those multi-energy platforms that we have. This is a great opportunity for us, compared to our peers, having the multi-energy platforms for all of our products in development and having the agility to move beween them,” she said.
Stellantis only offers a few plug-in vehicles in the U.S., but Jeep’s Wrangler 4xe PHEV is the best-selling vehicle in its category. The company’s approach is likely smart, given that many of its competitors have had to backtrack on plans to go headlong into EVs, as Ford and GM have both announced more hybrid and plug-in hybrid models are on the way to offset wavering demand.
[Image: Jeep/Stellantis]
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