Stellantis EV Day 2021 was embarrassing. The 3 hour video presentation was all about putting together multiple nonsense commercials and delaying the introduction of affordable electric cars.
First, let’s see the highlights of the press release.
- Plans to invest more than €30 billion through 2025 in electrification and software, while continuing to be the automotive efficiency frontrunner, with investment efficiency 30 percent better than industry average
- Targeting over 70 percent of sales in Europe and over 40 percent in the United States to be low emission vehicle (LEV) by 2030
- All 14 brands committed to offering best-in-class fully electrified solutions
- Delivering BEVs that meet demands of customers, with ranges of 500-800 km/300-500 miles and class-leading fast charging capability of 32 km/20 miles per minute
- Four flexible BEV-by-design platforms, scalable family of three electric drive modules and standardized battery packs to cover all brands and segments
- Platforms designed for long life via software and hardware upgrades
- Global EV battery sourcing strategy of over 260GWh by 2030, supported by five “gigafactories” between Europe and North America
- Plans include dual battery chemistries: a high energy-density option and a nickel cobalt-free alternative by 2024
- Solid state battery technology introduction planned in 2026
Smart Technology Enablers
Four BEV-centric platforms are the backbone of the electrified vehicles from Stellantis brands. The platforms are designed with a high level of flexibility (length and width) and component sharing, delivering economies of scale as each platform can support production of up to two million units per year.
The four platforms are:
● STLA Small, with a range up to 500 kilometers/300 miles
● STLA Medium, with a range up to 700 kilometers/440 miles
● STLA Large, with a range up to 800 kilometers/500 miles
● STLA Frame, with a range up to 800 kilometers/500 miles
Propulsion includes a family of three electric drive modules (EDM) that combine the motor, gearbox and inverter. These EDMs are compact, flexible and can be easily scaled. The EDMs can be configured for front-drive, rear-drive, all-wheel drive and 4xe.
The combination of the platforms, EDMs and high energy-density battery packs will deliver vehicles with best-in-class performance in efficiency, range and recharging.
A program of hardware upgrades and over-the-air software updates will extend the life of the platforms well into the next decade. Stellantis will develop software and controls in-house to maintain the characteristics unique to each brand.
Battery packs will be tailored for a variety of vehicles – from smaller city cars to energy-dense packs for performance vehicles and trucks. Use of two battery chemistries is planned by 2024 to support various customer needs: a high energy-density option and a nickel cobalt-free alternative. By 2026, the first competitive solid state battery technology is targeted to be introduced.
Stellantis recognizes that CTP (cell-to-pack) combined with cobalt-free batteries are the two most important technologies available today to make affordable electric cars that compete with ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) cars in price and availability.
However, Stellantis will delay the introduction of these two technologies until 2024. Moreover, only in 2026 the TCO (total cost of ownership) of Stellantis’ electric cars will match ICE cars. This means that even in 2026, electric cars from Stellantis will still be more expensive to buy than their ICE counterparts…
With this decision, Stellantis leaves an open door for Chinese automakers to arrive and dominate the European EV market very soon. Just look at the BYD Dolphin (EA1), that’s an electric car with modern technology that offers unmatched value for money.
I’m done with Euro carmakers.
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