Manufacturing – Page 12564 – I wish I had more to offer

AN ICON REIMAGINED FOR THE 21ST CENTURY: NEW DEFENDER MAKES GLOBAL DEBUT AT FRANKFURT MOTOR SHOW

* US market only (3,500kg for UK, Europe and RoW) About Land Rover Since 1948 Land Rover has been manufacturing authentic 4x4s that represent true ‘breadth of capability’ across the model range. Defender, Discovery, Discovery Sport, Range Rover, Range Rover Sport, Range Rover Velar and Range Rover Evoque each define the world’s SUV sectors, with… Continue reading AN ICON REIMAGINED FOR THE 21ST CENTURY: NEW DEFENDER MAKES GLOBAL DEBUT AT FRANKFURT MOTOR SHOW

Mazda reports steady half year European sales

Mazda Motor Corporation today announced its first half financial and sales results, reporting global sales of 731,000 vehicles during the period 1 April to 30 September 2019. The European region grew 2% during the six-month period, selling 121,000 units*. Germany, Mazda’s biggest market in Europe, contributed 34,000 units to this result (+3%), while sales in… Continue reading Mazda reports steady half year European sales

Daimler launches new corporate structure

STUTTGART, Germany, Nov. 4, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — Daimler Group comprising parent company and three operating subsidiaries Increased customer focus and agility with Mercedes-Benz AG, Daimler Truck AG and Daimler Mobility AG Daimler AG continues to be the only listed company Ola Källenius, Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and Mercedes-Benz AG: “Our… Continue reading Daimler launches new corporate structure

Fifth Of UK Drivers Want Electric To Power Their Car

Study suggests electric cars are now more desirable than diesel models. More than a fifth of British motorists now say electricity is their preferred form of power for a car, according to new research. A study of more than 7,200 drivers by electric motoring website DrivingElectric.com found that 22 percent of drivers said electric was… Continue reading Fifth Of UK Drivers Want Electric To Power Their Car

United Auto Workers chief takes paid leave amid corruption investigation

US unions Gary Jones has not been charged but home was searched Union represented workers in 40-day General Motors strike Gary Jones speaks during contract talks with Fiat Chrysler in Auburn Hills, Michigan in July. Photograph: Paul Sancya/Associated Press The United Auto Workers union announced on Saturday that its president, Gary Jones, is taking a… Continue reading United Auto Workers chief takes paid leave amid corruption investigation

For Comau the sale is closer. The node is the evaluation

Servicethe other shipyards of Fca With Iveco and Teksid it is at the center of a strategy that foresees the unbundling. In the past, the three companies of the Exor galaxy have been the subject of attention from possible buyers, especially from Asia by Carlo Festa November 2, 2019 (Armando Dadi / AGF) 2 ‘of… Continue reading For Comau the sale is closer. The node is the evaluation

PSA-Fiat Chrysler: a belly dance that lasted for months

Code names: “Stella” for PSA, “Paris” for Fiat Chrysler. The Announcements announced Thursday In the early morning, there was serious backstage since the beginning of October. It was at this point that the two groups, who had been looking around for months – if not years – foresaw that the possibility of a “deal” was… Continue reading PSA-Fiat Chrysler: a belly dance that lasted for months

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles CEO Says Company May Purchase Technology From Tesla

Invest
Electric Cars
Electric Car Benefits
Electric Car Sales
Solar Energy Rocks
RSS
Advertise
Privacy Policy

Cars

Published on November 1st, 2019 |

by Steve Hanley

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles CEO Says Company May Purchase Technology From Tesla

Twitter
LinkedIn
Facebook

November 1st, 2019 by Steve Hanley

Just yesterday, CleanTechnica contributor Maarten Vinkhuyzen told us about Fiat Chrysler’s plan to merge with PSA Group, parent company of Peugeot and Citroen, a move he called “a huge gamble.” His story got a lot of comments, many of which suggest the merger is like strapping two sinking oil tankers together in hopes the combination will somehow stay afloat.

It should be noted the prior proposed merger of FCA with Renault was torpedoed by the French government, which owns a large number of Renault shares and was less than pleased by the lack of guarantees that French manufacturing jobs would not be adversely affected by the merger. The government of France also has a big stake in PSA and will seek similar assurances. This merger is a long way from being a done deal.

Photo courtesy Peugeot

Chrysler has been in financial trouble since 1979, when only a federal loan guarantee program allowed it to stay out of bankruptcy. Since then, iconic American brands such as Plymouth, Pontiac, Oldsmobile, and Mercury have disappeared from the scene but Chrysler has soldiered on, thanks in no small part to the profits derived from the Jeep division, which it acquired from AMC in 1987.

Mercedes-Benz bought the company in 1998 for $34 billion. After several years of struggling to make it profitable, Mercedes dumped the company on Cerberus Capital Management Group, a private equity firm, for $7.4 billion in 2007. Beginning in 2009, Fiat began acquiring pieces of the company out of bankruptcy, finalizing its acquisition in 2014. The new company became known as Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, or FCA, and was headed by Sergio Marchionne until his death in 2018. His successor is Mike Manley.

Michael Manley, CEO Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. Photo courtesy FCA

On a conference call with stock analysts last week, Manley announced that FCA would consider buying a skateboard or rolling chassis from Tesla to serve as the basis for electric cars from the FCA/PSA alliance. Manley hinted that the new company could adapt the Tesla skateboard to individual markets by using suspension, braking, and other systems already on the shelf for brands such as Maserati, Alfa Romeo, or Jeep that are part of FCA today. He did not say whether Tesla has expressed any interest in selling such skateboards to other companies.

“The customer will be agnostic” to certain components like batteries and drivetrains, Manley said, according to Business Insider. What he means is that drivers focus more on the emblem on the hood and how comfy the seats are rather than the components that make a car go. He may be correct. Few people ever see the battery pack in an electric car or the motors that turn the wheels. They could come from Mars for all most people care as long as they function properly.

Many manufacturers today worry about becoming merely assemblers of parts acquired from outside suppliers. Gone are the days when a Jaguar was defined by that great thumping twin cam engine designed by William Lyons under the bonnet. Customers care no more about who supplies the motors in their electric cars today than drivers of conventional cars care about who manufactured the gas tank.

Tesla does have some history of working with other manufacturers. It provided batteries and motors to Mercedes-Benz for its first electric car, the B-Class Electric. And did the same for Toyota’s RAV4 EV. But those cooperative agreements ended years ago, and if Elon Musk is interested in becoming a supplier to other manufacturers today, he certainly hasn’t shown any signs of that publicly.

The most likely scenario is that Manley is whistling past the graveyard of automotive legends that have ceased to exist. He might be better off looking to Volkswagen, which is actively seeking buyers for its MEB electric car platform.

“Our relationship with Tesla goes back a long way,” Manley said. “It really has helped us. But FCA are absolutely committed to reducing CO2 emissions around the world.” This from a company that once begged customers not to buy its electric cars. Manley promises that after the merger with PSA the new company will pursue electrification on a “grand scale.”

“We’ll see,” said the Zen master.

Related: Tesla & Fiat Dance An Interesting Tango
Follow CleanTechnica on Google News.
It will make you happy & help you live in peace for the rest of your life.

About the Author

Steve Hanley Steve writes about the interface between technology and sustainability from his home in Rhode Island and anywhere else the Singularity may lead him. His motto is, “Life is not measured by how many breaths we take but by the number of moments that take our breath away!” You can follow him on Google + and on Twitter.

Advertise with CleanTechnica to get your company in front of millions of monthly readers.

Statement on UAW-Ford Tentative Agreement

About Ford Motor Company Ford Motor Company is a global company based in Dearborn, Michigan. The company designs, manufactures, markets and services a full line of Ford cars, trucks, SUVs, electrified vehicles and Lincoln luxury vehicles, provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company and is pursuing leadership positions in electrification, autonomous vehicles and mobility… Continue reading Statement on UAW-Ford Tentative Agreement

Robert Bosch Venture Capital invests in Quantum Computing Startup IonQ

About RBVC GmbH Robert Bosch Venture Capital GmbH (RBVC) is the corporate venture capital company of the Bosch Group, a leading global supplier of technology and services. RBVC invests worldwide in innovative start-up companies at all stages of their development. Its investment activities focus on technology companies working in areas of business of current and… Continue reading Robert Bosch Venture Capital invests in Quantum Computing Startup IonQ