Stellantis Vigo manufactures its 16 millionth car | The truth

The vehicle, Artense Gray in color, was produced on April 23 on Assembly Line 2, destined for the Spanish market. This is the first model of the Italian brand manufactured in Vigo and with it, in full transformation towards electrification, Fiat returns to produce in Spain after almost a century.

On the occasion of this production milestone, a commemorative photograph was taken with the “millionaire” vehicle, which was attended by the Management of Stellantis Vigo, a representation of the Business Committee and a large group of workers from the different workshops and departments of the company. plant, accompanied on this occasion by a figure very representative of the history of the factory, Javier Riera, who was its Director between the years 1981-1996 and 1998-2007, and by a representative group of young people, under 22 years of age, who They joined the factory in 2022, coinciding with the industrial launch of the Fiat E-Doblò, and they embody the new generation of workers with which the plant faces a new era.

Since July 2022, when series production of the Fiat Dobló began, with the launch of its 100% electric version, 54,717 units of this model have been produced at the Vigo plant, 10% of them with an electric motor. Of the total production, 96% of the vehicles have been destined for the international market. Currently, 140 units of this model are manufactured per day, 11% electric.

The Fiat Doblò had its first launch in 2000, then under the manufacturing of the FCA group (Fiat Chrysler Automobiles) and, in 2022, coinciding with its fifth generation, and already within Stellantis, the brand launched its 100% version. electricity to the market. That year the model began to be manufactured at Stellantis Vigo, joining the diverse industrial K9 range. The electric version began to be produced in July and the thermal one in October. This model is currently produced in System 2.

Electrification

Within the framework of the electrification strategy deployed by Stellantis through its Dare Forward 2030 plan, the “zero emissions” version of the Doblò is part of the electrification process initiated by Fiat, being the third electric model in the Fiat and Fiat Professional range . It also represents a decisive milestone in Fiat's objective of offering at least one electric alternative in Europe to become a fully electric automobile and professional vehicle firm from 2027.

The Fiat E-Doblò is equipped with a 100 kW electric motor and a 50 kWh battery that allows more than 280 km of autonomy. It reaches a maximum speed of up to 135 km/h and has an acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in just 11.2 seconds.

The Fiat Doblò, in its 100% electric and thermal versions, is the latest addition (2022) to the saga of light utility vehicles manufactured in Vigo, also made up of the Citroën Berlingo and Berlingo Van, Peugeot Rifter and Partner, Opel Combo Life and Combo Cargo. This line of vehicles, industrially known as K9, began production in Vigo in 2018.

As a curiosity about the manufacturing of Fiat models in Spain, an almost unknown pioneer stands out. It is the Fiat 514. When the Italian firm acquired the facilities of a prestigious national manufacturer, the iconic Hispano-Suiza, it began to be assembled there in 1931, with components from Italy. It was a medium size model. Launched in 1929, it was key to overcoming the effects of the economic crisis due to its low price. It was marketed, as was common at that time, in various bodies, from the four-door saloon, which was the one manufactured in Guadalajara, to convertibles and a coupe version.

In addition to the light utility vehicles of the Citroën, Fiat, Opel / Vauxhall and Peugeot brands, in their electric and thermal versions, which are produced in System 2 of Vigo, the plant also manufactures, in System 1, the Peugeot 2008, Also in electric and thermal versions. With 6,300 employees, the Vigo plant produces 2,320 vehicles daily.

Stellantis Vigo has produced 38 different models in a long history of 66 years of activity, 11 of them also in their electric version, this Fiat vehicle being the latest addition to the plant.

Some of these emblematic models have been manufactured in Spain, such as the Citroën Mehari that was manufactured in Vigo from 1969 to 1980 and which can still be seen especially on our beaches and which remains a coveted collector's item.

In 1958, production of the Citroën AZU began at Stellantis Vigo. Manufactured in the Galician plant until 1970, this van, based on the Citroën 2CV, took full advantage of the resistance and versatility of this model in its function as a commercial vehicle, becoming part of the landscape in urban and rural Spain in the mid-20th century. . Since then, Vigo has not stopped producing commercial vehicles.

Emerged as a vehicle to motorize French rural populations, the Citroën 2CV successfully landed in the city, becoming a symbol of the cultural revolution of the 60s, a car with enough reliability to go around the world and perform feats. sports, such as the Paris-Kabul or Paris Persepolis Paris raids. Manufactured in Vigo since 1959, it has remained in the collective memory as an icon of the carefree spirit and thirst for freedom of a generation. It was manufactured in that plant until 1984.

In 1984, the Citroën C15 arrived, synonymous with robustness and versatility. It was the first model in the history of the plant to overcome the barrier of one million units produced.

In 1996, Vigo once again became a benchmark with the first generation of the Peugeot Partner and Citroën Berlingo, which marked a before and after by being the first commercial vehicles in their segment to be designed as an independent model and not as a derivative of a tourism. At that time they marked a change of era. The approach was revolutionary: to offer a multipurpose vehicle, useful as a work tool on a daily basis and as a family car on weekends.

In 2018, coinciding with its 60th anniversary, the Vigo Center took on the challenge of manufacturing a new generation of commercial and multipurpose vehicles. The K9 family includes proposals that seek to be a useful and reliable work tool for all types of professionals and versions designed to fully enjoy leisure, thanks to a modularity worthy of a minivan and an interior space typical of an SUV.