Latest news with #OlivierFrancois
CTV News
4 days ago
- Automotive
- CTV News
Open the door to cheaper electric vehicles from Europe, advocates urge
Olivier Francois, Chrysler's chief marketing officer and global chief of the Fiat brand, talks in front of a Fiat 500e at the LA Auto Show in Los Angeles, Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2012. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson) TORONTO — The federal government has stopped the world's cheapest electric vehicles — made in China — from coming into Canada with a 100 per cent tariff, so advocates are pushing to make it easier for automakers to bring in cheaper ones from Europe. 'Right now, there is a blockage, saying that for safety reasons they cannot let these cars in,' said Daniel Breton, head of Electric Mobility Canada. He's pushing to have the federal government rule that EVs deemed safe by European regulators don't need to be re-certified and modified for Canadian standards. The potentially costly process can be a barrier to bringing more compact and affordable EVs to the Canadian market, though demand might be the bigger hurdle. 'Right now Transport Canada is saying, well, we have to change the bumpers and we have to change the headlights and this and that for safety reasons, which, as far as I'm concerned is total B.S.,' said Breton. 'If the car is good enough to be driving on European roads, where you can drive much faster than here, don't come and tell me that they're not safe enough to be driven in Canada.' Attempts to lower the barriers to cheaper vehicles comes as EV sales have been disrupted by the abrupt end of government rebate programs, while tariffs and U.S. moves to end EV supports and mandates are further destabilizing the market. Breton said that allowing a more open flow of vehicles from Europe would fit in well with a push to strengthen and diversify trade ties with the region, as Prime Minister Mark Carney has said he hopes to do, but Transport Canada says it's not so simple. 'The certification requirements of other jurisdictions may not be sufficient to meet the safety needs of Canadian road users due to Canada's distinct driving environment,' said spokesman Hicham Ayoun in an email. He said Canadian test standards are better suited for the road infrastructure, speed limits and larger vehicle sizes found on Canadian roadways. 'Some European crash testing requirements are not as stringent as the Canadian regime due to differences in their driving environment.' While Breton said the idea that European testing is deficient is ridiculous, there is also the question of how much demand there would be for the vehicles. As Transport Canada pointed out, Canadians like big cars and trucks. So much so that a few years ago the International Energy Agency found Canadian vehicles were the largest and second heaviest in the world, resulting in the worst fuel efficiency rating globally. Automakers know that and could be hesitant to bring in smaller cars, said Sam Fiorani, vice-president of global vehicle forecasting at AutoForecast Solutions. 'European EVs are tailored for the European market, and those models don't convert very well to the U.S. and Canada,' he said. 'The small cars that Canadians appreciate are on the fringes — there aren't too many of them." But even if the potential market isn't much bigger than the cars themselves, Breton said there's still demand from anyone ranging from downtown drivers to households looking to make their second car an EV. He pointed to the Smart EV his wife drives, which is no longer available in Canada. 'If today her vehicle was scrapped, she couldn't find anything on the market, except for the Fiat 500e. But that's it. That's not choice.' The Fiat is the cheapest EV available in Canada, with a base price of $42,290 (though the company is currently offering more than $4,000 in discounts) for an advertised 227-kilometre range. The Nissan Leaf is the nearest competitor, starting at a selling price of $44,596 for a 240-kilometre range. But there are numerous other compact models that aren't available here. Volkswagen sells its ID.4 in Canada, but not the ID.3 that can retail for some 20 per cent less, and Nissan doesn't sell its more affordable Micra model, while other European brands with compact EVs like Citroen, Opel and Peugeot don't sell in Canada at all. Sales numbers for the available compact options aren't high, with Stellantis selling 1,275 of its Fiat 500e model last year, compared with more than 62,000 under its Ram brand and more than 40,000 for Jeep. But the market also needs choice to grow and fewer barriers to entry, said Breton. There does seem to be support for at least the idea of bringing cheaper EVs from Europe, according to a poll released last month from Clean Energy Canada. The results from 2,585 Canadians showed 70 per cent were in favour of allowing European-approved EVs into Canada, with only 10 per cent against and the rest unsure. The poll also showed a majority supported the other big lever the federal government has to making EVs cheaper, by reducing or doing away with tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles. The results showed 53 per cent supported mirroring Europe's model that has put tariffs of up to 35 per cent on Chinese vehicles, an approach that balances protecting home industries with improving affordability. Breton said he would also like to see a more nuanced approach to China than the 100 per cent tariff Canada has imposed, to better strike that balance and make it easier to transition to zero-emission vehicles. 'We want to make sure that Canadians have access to affordable electric cars.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 18, 2025. Ian Bickis, The Canadian Press
Daily Mail
07-07-2025
- Automotive
- Daily Mail
Fiat unveils new petrol car after EV sales tank
Fiat has unveiled its latest car having been forced to introduce it in response to underwhelming demand for its electric vehicles that has seen sales slide in recent years. The legendary Italian marque has revealed the new 500 Hybrid - a car it said just five years it would never produce. It is largely based on the Fiat 500e, which when launched in 2020 bosses said would be exclusively sold as an EV as part of the brand's plan to accelerate its shift to battery power by the end of the decade. But with sales in freefall due to low public demand for EVs - and older drivers in particular shunning the electric city car - the company has been forced to backtrack on its previous promise. As a result, it has redeveloped the 500e's architecture to incorporate a hybrid drivetrain to provide customers with the petrol cars they want. Olivier Francois, chief executive of Fiat, said last week that the decision to shoehorn a combustion engine into the 500e's platform is a 'bet on the customer and the future'. He confirmed production of the 500 Hybrid will start in November, with the intention of delivering 5,000 units in 2025 before upping output to 100,000 cars per year at its Mirafiori factory in Turin - the same plant where 500e is built. Both the conventional 500 hatchback and 500C cabriolet will be available with the hybrid drivetrain, which is the same 1.0-litre three-cylinder powertrain in the previous-generation 500 and Panda. It is married to a six-speed manual transmission, as Fiat opts for a traditional route to appease customers who have refused to switch to its electrified 500. From the outside, it looks almost undistinguishable from its EV sibling. In fact, the only major difference is the reworked grille, with additional venting to cool the engine. Inside, the cabin is completely reworked from the last petrol-driven 500, with a new 10.25-inch touchscreen taking centre stage. The motor industry's EV U-turn When the 500e first emerged on the scene in 2020, Fiat insisted it would be sold only with battery power. Any customers who wanted a 500 with a petrol engine were informed they would need to make do with the older version, which would remain in production - and on sale - simultaneously. However, its plans were scuppered last summer when the old 500 - a car that dates back to 2007 with little development since - no longer adhered to European safety regulation, leaving Fiat no option but to discontinue it. The introduction of the EU's General Safety Regulation II on 7 July 2024 - rules that mandate for all new models to be fitted with a suite of safety features, including Intelligent Speed Assistance ( ISA ) speed limiters - effectively killed off the old 500 with immediate effect. This created a significant problem for Fiat, given the worrying lack of appetite for the 500e in recent years. Almost two thirds (63 per cent) of 500 deliveries in 2023 in Europe were the older model, with customers wanting a conventional petrol engine despite the 500e offering the latest tech and a far more advanced package that the near 20-year-old variant. In July 2024, Francois confirmed the company would have to take appropriate measures to modify the 500e's architecture to take a petrol powertrain for European buyers who have 'turned their back on the sustainable solution,' he said at the brand's 125th-anniversary celebrations in Turin that month. He said the car company had anticipated that the 'world would go electric faster and the cost of electrification would go down faster,' but says the impact of Covid and shortage of raw materials took a significant toll on the EV revolution. He added that the company 'couldn't imagine' that all but 'the youngest' drivers would 'turn their backs' on electric cars as a result. 'This is the reality. We have to face those realities,' he said. Just two months after Francois confirmed the new 500 Hybrid would arrive by 2026, Fiat announced in September that appetite for the 500e had sunk so low that it had a surplus of cars and would suspend 500e outputs at the Turin factory for seven weeks. 'The measure is necessary due to the current lack of orders linked to the deep difficulties experienced in the European electric (car) market by all producers, particularly the European ones,' Fiat's parent group Stellantis said at the time. Official figures for 2024 show that Fiat's registrations in the UK alone fell by 14 per cent year-on-year, partly driven by its EV ambitions. Fiat's U-turn on exclusively selling new models as EVs isn't unprecedented. In fact, sister brands under the Stellantis banner have done the same in recent months. Jeep's Avenger SUV was - like the 500e - was originally intended to be sold only with battery power in the UK but in 2024 the brand opted to make a mild-hybrid petrol variant available having seen limited orders for the EV.
Daily Mail
07-07-2025
- Automotive
- Daily Mail
Fiat unveils new petrol car that's born as result of tanking EV sales
Fiat has unveiled its latest car having been forced to introduce it in response to underwhelming demand for its electric vehicles that has seen sales slide in recent years. The legendary Italian marque has revealed the new 500 Hybrid - a car it said just five years it would never produce. It is largely based on the Fiat 500e, which when launched in 2020 bosses said would be exclusively sold as an EV as part of the brand's plan to accelerate its shift to battery power by the end of the decade. But with sales in freefall due to low public demand for EVs - and older drivers in particular shunning the electric city car - the company has been forced to backtrack on its previous promise. As a result, it has redeveloped the 500e's architecture to incorporate a hybrid drivetrain to provide customers with the petrol cars they want. Olivier Francois, chief executive of Fiat, said last week that the decision to shoehorn a combustion engine into the 500e's platform is a 'bet on the customer and the future'. He confirmed production of the 500 Hybrid will start in November, with the intention of delivering 5,000 units in 2025 before upping output to 100,000 cars per year at its Mirafiori factory in Turin - the same plant where 500e is built. Both the conventional 500 hatchback and 500C cabriolet will be available with the hybrid drivetrain, which is the same 1.0-litre three-cylinder powertrain in the previous-generation 500 and Panda. It is married to a six-speed manual transmission, as Fiat opts for a traditional route to appease customers who have refused to switch to its electrified 500. From the outside, it looks almost undistinguishable from its EV sibling. In fact, the only major difference is the reworked grille, with additional venting to cool the engine. Inside, the cabin is completely reworked from the last petrol-driven 500, with a new 10.25-inch touchscreen taking centre stage. The motor industry's EV U-turn When the 500e first emerged on the scene in 2020, Fiat insisted it would be sold only with battery power. Any customers who wanted a 500 with a petrol engine were informed they would need to make do with the older version, which would remain in production - and on sale - simultaneously. However, its plans were scuppered last summer when the old 500 - a car that dates back to 2007 with little development since - no longer adhered to European safety regulation, leaving Fiat no option but to discontinue it. The introduction of the EU's General Safety Regulation II on 7 July 2024 - rules that mandate for all new models to be fitted with a suite of safety features, including Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) speed limiters - effectively killed off the old 500 with immediate effect. This created a significant problem for Fiat, given the worrying lack of appetite for the 500e in recent years. Almost two thirds (63 per cent) of 500 deliveries in 2023 in Europe were the older model, with customers wanting a conventional petrol engine despite the 500e offering the latest tech and a far more advanced package that the near 20-year-old variant. In July 2024, Francois confirmed the company would have to take appropriate measures to modify the 500e's architecture to take a petrol powertrain for European buyers who have 'turned their back on the sustainable solution,' he said at the brand's 125th-anniversary celebrations in Turin that month. He said the car company had anticipated that the 'world would go electric faster and the cost of electrification would go down faster,' but says the impact of Covid and shortage of raw materials took a significant toll on the EV revolution. He added that the company 'couldn't imagine' that all but 'the youngest' drivers would 'turn their backs' on electric cars as a result. 'This is the reality. We have to face those realities,' he said. Inside, the cabin is completely reworked, with a new 10.25-inch touchscreen. As you can see, they hybrid fully goes down the traditional route with a 6-speed manual gearbox An image of the new 500 Hybrid in production at the Turin factory, with a fuel cap in situ for the first time on this latest generation of the iconic city car Just two months after Francois confirmed the new 500 Hybrid would arrive by 2026, Fiat announced in September that appetite for the 500e had sunk so low that it had a surplus of cars and would suspend 500e outputs at the Turin factory for seven weeks. 'The measure is necessary due to the current lack of orders linked to the deep difficulties experienced in the European electric (car) market by all producers, particularly the European ones,' Fiat's parent group Stellantis said at the time. Official figures for 2024 show that Fiat's registrations in the UK alone fell by 14 per cent year-on-year, partly driven by its EV ambitions. Fiat's U-turn on exclusively selling new models as EVs isn't unprecedented. In fact, sister brands under the Stellantis banner have done the same in recent months. Jeep's Avenger SUV was - like the 500e - was originally intended to be sold only with battery power in the UK but in 2024 the brand opted to make a mild-hybrid petrol variant available having seen limited orders for the EV. Citroen took the same approach recently with its C4 X. It comes as a number of major car brands, including Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, Audi and Ford have in recent months announced significant delays to their EV plans as a result of lower-than-anticipated uptake of EVs.
Motor 1
07-07-2025
- Automotive
- Motor 1
Fiat's New 70-Horsepower Gas Hatchback Is For 'Real People'
Fiat had no choice but to pause production of the 500e several times due to low demand. Realizing the situation wasn't improving, the company announced last year that it would fit its smallest hatchback with a gasoline engine. A new production line at the Mirafiori plant is already operational and is currently building pre-production cars. Customer vehicles will begin rolling off the assembly line in November. By year's end, about 5,000 units are expected to leave the factory. Fiat's CEO, Olivier Francois, describes the gas-powered model as 'the 500 for real people, the pragmatic 500.' It starts at €17,000 ($20,000) in Italy. Ok, it's not exactly cheap, but still about €5,000 (nearly $6,000) less than the purely electric version. Although it's no bargain, it's worth noting that Italians pay a 22% value-added tax (VAT). As with the EV, the combustion-powered 500 will be offered in three configurations: hatchback, convertible, and the asymmetrical 3+1 with an additional rear-hinged door on the passenger side. Photo by: Fiat Although the platform wasn't originally designed to accommodate a combustion engine, the 500 now features a small three-cylinder unit in the form of a 1.0-liter mild-hybrid unit producing 70 horsepower. This engine is carried over from the previous-generation 500 and the aging Panda , which Fiat has been selling since 2011. The FireFly-family engine is mated to a six-speed manual gearbox, with no mention yet of an automatic option. We can assume that removing the battery pack significantly reduces weight. Until Fiat releases full technical specifications, it's worth remembering that the 500e weighs 1,255 kilograms (2,767 pounds) with the smaller 24-kWh battery. The larger 42-kWh pack increases the weight to around 1,340 kg (2,952 lbs). Visually, the gas and electric versions are nearly identical, except for a horizontal front grille slat added to cool the combustion engine. The 500 Hybrid's launch comes at a time when Stellantis is concerned it may have to scale back production of gasoline vehicles to avoid EU fines for exceeding fleet-wide emissions targets. Fiat's parent company has until the end of 2027 to comply with the newly imposed regulations. Ironically, if the gas model is a sales success, it could make achieving those targets more difficult by increasing average CO₂ emissions. Stellantis will need to ramp up EV sales to offset the added emissions and avoid penalties. 2026 Fiat 500 with gas engine 22 Source: Stellantis Fiat is introducing the gas-powered 500 as part of an effort to revitalize the plant in Turin, which produced only 25,000 cars last year despite having the capacity to build 100,000 annually. Sluggish demand for the 500e prompted the Stellantis brand to rethink its strategy and manufacture both the combustion and electric variants under the same roof. Its performance division, Abarth, is set to bid farewell to gas engines, citing steep taxes in Europe on cars with higher emissions. Consequently, don't expect a hot hatch version of the gas 500. Instead, a sporty Abarth-badged 500e is available, and even a 600e crossover. Catch Up With Fiat: Who Bought a New Fiat 124 Spider In Q2 2025? Base Fiat Grande Panda: No Center Screen, Just Plastic Share this Story Facebook X LinkedIn Flipboard Reddit WhatsApp E-Mail Got a tip for us? Email: tips@ Join the conversation ( )
TimesLIVE
07-07-2025
- Automotive
- TimesLIVE
Stellantis bets on €17,000 Fiat 500 hybrid to revive ailing Italian output
Fiat aims to manufacture more than 100,000 units per year of its new hybrid 500 small car, a model parent Stellantis bets on to revive its ailing production in Italy, the brand's head Olivier Francois said on Friday. Stellantis, created in 2021 from the merger of Fiat Chrysler and France's PSA-Peugeot, last year manufactured 475,000 vehicles in Italy, from more than 751,000 in 2023, with car production down 46% to its lowest since 1956. That was due to a mix of factors including low market demand, in particular for electric vehicles (EV), growing competition from Asian manufacturers and plants reworking for new model launches. "That's the 500 for real people, the pragmatic 500," Francois said during a media preview of the car, when some prototypes were shown to press. The new hybrid 500, to be manufactured from November in the Mirafiori complex in Turin, Italy, along its existing fully electric version, will cost €17,000 (R354,623), Francois said. It will feature a 12-volt lithium battery. The automaker plans to produce 5,000 units this year, he said. Production of the 500 EV, which costs almost €30,000 (R625,996), amounted to only 25,000 units last year, with Mirafiori suffering several stoppages due to low demand and workers put on furloughs. The Fiat CEO said the brand has plans to introduce an upgraded and more affordable version of the 500 EV in 2027, with a targeted selling price of "€20,000 or even less", mainly thanks to batteries that will be made in-house. Stellantis is also working on the new generation of the 500, expected around 2030, to be produced in Mirafiori. "We're designing it. It will be electric and also hybrid depending on regulation and market response in coming years," Francois said.
