Stellantis is gearing up for its E-Car project and has officially announced a family of small, affordable, all-electric vehicles for multiple group brands. Production has been assigned to its Pomigliano d’Arco plant in Italy, near Naples, with a 2028 start date.
For nearly a year, the E-Car has circulated as a concept: after a joint call to action by then CEO of Renault, Luca de Meo, and Stellantis chairman John Elkann in an interview, Europe decided to define an answer to the structural disappearance of affordable small cars.
Kei-car for Europe
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen herself pledged to work with the sector on a framework for a small, affordable e-car. Basically, with less stringent safety requirements, to cut the price. This new category, ‘kei-cars for Europe,’ has been labeled ‘M1E’. However, the rules for that new category have not been fixed and approved yet.
Under its current CEO, Antonio Filosa, Stellantis is moving forward. In a formal announcement, the group confirms that E-Car production is assigned to Pomigliano d’Arco, the southern Italian plant with a long history of producing high-volume popular cars, including the current Fiat Panda and the Alfa Romeo Tonale.
The “E” in the name, Stellantis explains, stands for European, Emotion, Electric, and Environmental Friendliness. CEO Antonio Filosa framed the project as a direct response to customer demand: “Our customers are calling for a revival of small, stylish vehicles, proudly produced in Europe, that are also affordable and eco-friendly. Stellantis answers its call with exciting new models for multiple brands.”
Reviving Italian manufacturing
The choice of Pomigliano is as much political as logistical. Stellantis has been accused of disfavouring its Italian plants, so assigning the e-car is also a direct signal to Italian trade unions, suppliers, and government stakeholders. In contrast to its predecessor, Filosa aims to reinvigorate the group’s manufacturing footprint in Italy.
According to Italian newspaper Il Sole 24 Ore, Stellantis describes the E-Car models as vehicles that “will be equipped with high-end BEV technologies, developed in cooperation with selected partners to ensure greater affordability and accelerate time-to-market.”
The use of external technology partnerships is an important hook: between the lines, it seems Stellantis is looking to its Chinese partners, such as Leapmotor or Dongfeng, to develop the new range of cars. That would speed up the process, but it hardly aligns with the “made in Europe, for Europe” philosophy, which Von Der Leyen is a strong advocate of.
Final rules by the end of the year
Speaking at the Financial Times’ Future of the Car summit earlier this month, Filosa confirmed that both Fiat and Citroën are central to the project. Citroën is said to be developing an all-new electric model drawing on the visual language of the iconic 2CV, while Fiat’s historic identity in the small-car segment makes it the natural lead brand for the initiative. So, while the tech may be Chinese, the looks will definitely be European.
The pricing ambition is equally clear from Filosa’s remarks at the summit: “Cars below €15,000, they don’t exist any longer, but clean and affordable is possible. The E-Car project is possible.” For context, Former Stellantis Europe boss Jean-Philippe Imparato, now CEO of Maserati, previously put a specific figure on the market’s collapse, noting that in 2019 there were still 49 models available in Europe under €15,000. Today, that count has fallen to… just one.
The E-Car regulation is expected to be finalized towards the end of 2026, giving manufacturers sufficient lead time to finalize their vehicle projects and manufacturing plans ahead of 2028 launches.
