Stellantis will increase its production in Italy this year, thanks to the launch of new models, according to a senior executive for the region.

A senior manager at Stellantis stated that the company is preparing to ramp up output at several of its Italian plants this year with the introduction of new models, aligning with the automaker's commitment to the government to safeguard local manufacturing.

Stellantis's Europe chief, Emanuele Cappellano, outlined production plans for factories across Italy during a meeting with Industry Minister Adolfo Urso on Friday.

The FIM Cisl union indicated in early January that the company's Italian production fell by one-fifth last year, with passenger car output dropping by a quarter year-on-year to its lowest level since 1954.

The crisis in the automotive sector has led to hundreds of Stellantis workers in Italy accepting state-supported furlough schemes; the decline in the carmaker's production has strained the country's automotive supply chain—a vital component of the domestic economy—and heightened tensions with Rome.

In December 2024, the company announced an investment plan for Italy, pledging to maintain normal operations at all local plants.

According to a Stellantis spokesperson, the company has committed to sourcing over 7 billion euros ($8.3 billion) from Italian suppliers in 2026, a point Cappellano reiterated during the meeting.

Cappellano noted that the Melfi plant has already begun producing the new DS 8 and Jeep Compass, and will reinstate a second production shift in the coming weeks.

He stated that the group will commence production of another DS model at Melfi in 2026, followed later this year by the new Lancia Gamma, with both models available in electric and hybrid versions.

Another new model is scheduled to begin production at the plant in 2028.

The company is also expanding production activities at Atessa, where it will partially restore a third shift in the coming days, thereby increasing the plant's daily output by 200 vehicles.

Cappellano said Stellantis will hire over 400 workers at the Mirafiori plant this year, as part of a plan to recruit 500 new employees in Italy, in preparation for launching a second shift for the new Fiat 500 hybrid.

Meanwhile, in Termoli, Stellantis confirmed it will continue investing in the "GSE" petrol engine to meet Euro 7 emission standards for use beyond 2030, while a new e-DCT transmission production line will also become operational, ensuring continuity of operations regardless of future decisions on investment in a battery gigafactory.