Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa said the company will lean more heavily into partnerships, signaling they will likely be a key component of the automaker’s new business plan set to be unveiled next week.
The details: Speaking at the Financial Times’ Future of the Car Summit, Filosa said collaborative efforts will be embedded in Stellantis’ strategy moving forward, Reuters reported, adding context to the automaker’s plans to deepen ties with Chinese partner Leapmotor.
Last week, Stellantis announced plans to begin joint vehicle production in Europe with Leapmotor, building on the companies’ existing distribution partnership.
Under another potential agreement, Stellantis is reportedly aiming to build EVs with Leapmotor at its idle Brampton, Ontario, assembly plant.
In their words: "By working with a set of partners to build a roadmap of technological improvement, supply chain improvement, and maybe capacity utilization, those are very good topics to work together and create benefits for both sides," said Filosa, regarding the company’s plans for expanded collaboration.
Why it matters: Expanded partnerships could help Stellantis accelerate product development, lower costs, and improve factory utilization — all of which could affect future product availability, pricing, and competitiveness for dealers. But any deeper ties involving Chinese automakers could also introduce regulatory uncertainty that complicates long-term planning.
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Between the lines: Stellantis’ partnership push comes as calls intensify for President Donald Trump to ban Chinese vehicles from entering the U.S., with lawmakers stepping up efforts ahead of Trump’s planned meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping this week, Reuters reported.
Sen. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan, a Democrat, who introduced a bipartisan bill with Sen. Bernie Moreno of Ohio, a Republican, aimed at banning Chinese vehicles in the U.S., continues to raise concerns about data collection.
Reps. Debbie Dingell, a Michigan Democrat, and John Moolenaar, a Michigan Republican, are sponsoring the Connected Vehicle Security Act, a bipartisan House bill that would effectively ban Chinese vehicles in the U.S. as well.
In their words: "Every vehicle on American roads is a rolling data collection device, capturing information on location, movement, people, and infrastructure in real time, and we cannot allow Chinese vehicles or components to be a part of that system," said Dingell and Moolenaar in a joint statement, per Reuters.
Bottom line: Stellantis is betting partnerships will help sharpen its turnaround strategy, but for dealers, the payoff will depend on whether those alliances translate into stronger products without getting caught in geopolitical or regulatory crosscurrents.
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