Platform sharing: Stellantis’ EV future

The identify ‘Stellantis’ evokes astronomical connotations, and that is maybe applicable for a corporation that was shaped from the merger of two already giant conglomerates, and now has ambitions to steer the worldwide automotive business.

Created final yr from a merger between FCA (Fiat Chrysler Cars) and Groupe PSA, Stellantis is now one of the vital brand-heavy firms within the automotive area.

At the moment, the corporate contains 14 distinct manufacturers promoting automobiles beneath their very own names. Collectively, these manufacturers cowl all the gamut of automotive segments, from metropolis vehicles just like the Lancia Ypsilon to the large Ram 3500 heavy-duty pickup truck.

Stellantis has inherited quite a few platforms from its predecessor firms, and with this bevy of platforms comes distinctive tooling, separate energetic security, driver help and infotainment programs, and a raft of powertrains and drivetrains.

These points all create substantial inefficiencies and extra prices on the mass-production stage, and these points are additional sophisticated by Stellantis’ dedication to promote electrical automobiles in substantial portions, with the corporate just lately confirming that it expects to promote a complete of 5 million battery-electric automobiles, throughout its 14 manufacturers, by 2030.

In comparison with the everyday internal-combustion automobile, nonetheless, an EV requires fewer elements to fabricate.

With the corporate deciding to step by step section out manufacturing of its combustion-powered fashions, this additionally offers Stellantis with a possibility to closely consolidate the event and manufacturing of its future EV fashions round a set of uniform architectures, no matter which model they are going to be bought beneath.

Correspondingly, Stellantis has introduced that each one future EVs will utilise one among 4 platforms, specifically STLA Small, STLA Medium, STLA Giant, and STLA Body.

Let’s take a look on the technical capabilities of every platform, and what future automobiles we will anticipate from every.

STLA Small

Because the identify suggests, STLA Small is designed for compact vehicles, and could also be used for successors to vehicles like at the moment’s Fiat 500 mild hatch, the Volkswagen Golf-rivalling Peugeot 308 and small SUVs such because the Peugeot 2008.

Stellantis claims automobiles primarily based on the STLA Small platform could have battery capacities starting from 37-82 kWh, facilitating a most vary of 500km, and will probably be powered by, at minimal, an electrical motor producing 70kW of energy mated to a 400V electrical structure.

The corporate says STLA Small-based automobiles will even provide the choice of electrical motors that’ll produce between 125kW and 180kW of energy.

It’s possible any non secular, electrical successor to the Alfa Romeo Giulietta or MiTo would additionally undertake this platform, whereas the STLA Small structure would additionally present a sound foundation for replacements for the Jeep Renegade and Compass SUVs.

STLA Medium

STLA Medium is for automobiles at the very least one measurement up from the compact class, and correspondingly, it additionally presents a step-up in efficiency.

Autos primarily based on the STLA Medium structure are anticipated to undertake battery capacities starting from 87-104 kWh, permitting for a most vary of as much as 700km.

Commensurate with its bigger measurement, automobiles primarily based on STLA Medium will even be accessible with electrical motors that can every produce between 150kW and 330kW of energy.

This structure might underpin replacements for present fashions just like the Peugeot 508 and Citroen C5 Aircross.

STLA Giant

Individuals love bigger vehicles and globally, the massive premium SUV phase additionally stays a profitable income. Bigger automobiles additionally provide larger area to pack in additional batteries and bigger, extra highly effective motors, and resultantly, the STLA Giant platform goals to characterize the height of Stellantis’ EV engineering experience.

The corporate claims automobiles primarily based on the STLA Giant platform will have the ability to provide AWD efficiency and dynamics with acceleration from 0-100 km/h in as little as two seconds, elevating the likelihood {that a} future electrical Dodge Challenger Demon might rival at the moment’s hottest hypercars in efficiency.

With electrical motors every producing between 125kW and 330kW, that creates the tantalising risk of dual-motor 660kW all-wheel drive powertrains for next-generation efficiency fashions just like the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio and Dodge’s upcoming ‘e-muscle automobile’.

STLA Giant automobiles will even have the ability to help battery capacities from 101-118 kWh, facilitating a most vary of as much as 800km.

It’s doable that a lot of Maserati’s vary might finally be primarily based on the STLA Giant structure, together with successors to the present Levante and Quattroporte.

Final yr, Stellantis teased a spread of STLA Giant-based automobiles for the Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram automobiles. These included the aforementioned Dodge muscle automobile, in addition to a big sedan, and a spread of SUVs together with a “very succesful” off-roading “whitespace car” for Jeep.

It confirmed it’ll introduce eight STLA Giant-based automobiles over the following 3-5 years.

Chrysler has revealed the Airflow idea, which possible previews a brand new EV for the model due in 2025, whereas Ram has confirmed it’ll introduce a Ford Ranger-sized pickup on this platform in 2026.

STLA Body

With electrical utes and pick-up vehicles such because the Ford F-150 Lightning, Chevrolet Silverado EV, the Rivian R1T and the forthcoming Tesla Cybertruck all producing important hype, it’s solely pure that Stellantis, by way of its Ram model, would additionally need its spot within the limelight.

Stellantis has introduced an STLA Body structure designed to cater to the wants of professional quality pickup truck customers and companies that depend on different industrial automobiles reminiscent of vans.

STLA Body will provide comparable energy outputs and most vary figures in comparison with automobiles primarily based on the STLA Giant structure, however to compensate for the elevated measurement, weight and worse aerodynamics of pick-up vehicles, will even provide elevated battery sizes ranging to 200 kWh.

Autos on this platform will characteristic electrical motors every producing between 150kW and 330kW, and provide vary of as much as 800km.

Stellantis confirmed final yr it’ll introduce a rival to the likes of the Ford F-150 Lightning in 2024 referred to as, somewhat merely, the Ram 1500 BEV.