Stellantis CEO did not confirm Maserati EV plans, union says

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ROME (Reuters) – Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares has failed to confirm previously announced electrification plans for Maserati, Italian trade unionists said after meeting him on Tuesday, adding to concern about the loss-making luxury brand.

Tavares visited Maserati’s plant in its hometown of Modena, but “no clear answers came” from his conversations with workers’ representatives, Samuele Lodi and Stefania Ferrari of the FIOM-Cgil union said in a joint statement.

Lodi and Ferrari expressed concern that “contrary to what was previously communicated” to unions, the planned start of production in mid-2025 of the electric version of the MC 20 sports car was not mentioned.

“There was no mention of electric models, nor of other new models coming to the Modena plant,” they said.

Tavares came to Modena with the new CEO of Maserati Santo Ficili, appointed this month.

Under its previous boss, Maserati announced plans to fully electrify its lineup by 2028, including with a new version of its Levante large SUV in 2027, and a new Quattroporte luxury sedan in 2028.

The Franco-Italian automaker has repeatedly denied speculation about a possible sale of Maserati, although Tavares has said the group cannot afford to keep brands that are not profitable.

Stellantis was not available for comment on the union statement.

In a note earlier on Tuesday it said it was pushing ahead with electrification and “finalising a strategic plan to take the (Maserati) brand back to the top of the sector, with a full pipeline of new products and technologies for the coming years”.

(Reporting by Alvise Armellini and Giulio Piovaccari, editing by Barbara Lewis)