Key facts
- Stellantis extended a summer production stoppage at its Fiat 500 factory in Turin by one week.
- The extended halt is attributed to shortages of parts like engines, bumpers, and sensors.
- A trade union suggested that weak demand for the Fiat 500 city car might also be a factor.
- The factory's daily assembly rate for the Fiat 500 was previously reduced earlier this year.
- Stellantis had previously announced a three-week summer downtime for the factory.
Stellantis has added an extra week to the summer production stoppage at its Fiat 500 factory in Turin, Italy, citing shortages of critical parts from some suppliers. The FIM Cisl trade union announced the extended downtime, which will run from July 27 to July 31, adding to a previously scheduled three-week break in August.
A company spokesperson confirmed the extended halt, stating that parts supply issues, including for engines, bumpers, and sensors, necessitated the decision. The spokesperson also noted that some suppliers are struggling to keep pace with the increased production demands for the Fiat 500 city car, which was relaunched with a hybrid version late last year.
However, FIM Cisl representative Igor Albera suggested that the continued stoppages at the Mirafiori plant might also indicate that market demand for the Fiat 500 is weaker than anticipated. Operations at the factory were scheduled to resume on Tuesday following a separate week-long stoppage around a public holiday.
Stellantis had previously announced a target to produce approximately 100,000 units of the Fiat 500, in both hybrid and fully electric versions, by 2026. Earlier this year, Albera noted that Stellantis had reduced the daily assembly rate for the 500 at Mirafiori from 430 units to 400 units.