The future of Termoli Gigafactory remains an unknown. This is because, the unions say in unison, the negotiations on the Molise factory underway at Mimit have been interrupted: the responsibility for this stop is placed on Fim, Fiom, Uilm, Fismic, Ugl and the Managers’ Association ACCthe joint venture between Stellantis, Mercedes and Total, which said it was unavailable to continue any discussions until the end of the year. As a result, the negotiations which until a few weeks ago seemed to lead to the beginning of an agreement were interrupted.
The unions rise up
“The justification of ACC it is twofold and focuses on the one hand on the slowdown in demand for electric vehicles and on the other on the need for a technological update on the batteries to be produced – the reasons of the unions reported by Ansa – From the very elusive attitude held today by ACC to the Ministry of Business and Made in Italy, it is clear that the construction project of the Gigafactory in Termoli is not simply postponed by a few months, but suspended at least until the end of the year without any certainty for the future. This is a situation that as trade unions we can not accept and for this reason we asked the government and the Molise Region to undertake a joint action aimed at obtaining clarity from ACC and from Stellantis itself”.
Stop the negotiations on Termoli
The acronyms went on to ask for support from the government in forcing the hand of ACC since they are almost at stake 400 million euros of public incentives. “At the same time we ask Stellantis to fully assume its responsibilities, to clarify which engines it will produce in Termoli and for how many years, since reassurances of principle such as those received today which are not corroborated by precise production assignments cannot be sufficient. We ask Stellantis to also assume responsibilities towards ACC, of which it is both the main shareholder and the main customer. Mimit talks about meeting again in September, but for us Termoli is one of the plants on which to clarify at the general automotive table which we expect to be taken up by the Presidency of the Council in the coming weeks”, the further requests of the unions.
The plans for the Gigafactory
In the meantime, having taken note of this extension of timescales, Stellantis has decided to enhance production of Ics components in the Termoli plant thanks to the decision to develop a new hybrid Fiat 500 for commercial launch at the end of 2025, and to extend the commercial life of the hybrid Fiat Panda until 2029. “We reiterate the importance of the Termoli factory for the production of ICE engines for the group’s vehicles, continuing the strategy of CO2 reduction and ensuring the transition”commented a spokesperson for the Italian-French group.
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