Stellantis unveils $70 billion turnaround plan, targets positive cash flow by 2027

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — Stellantis said Thursday it plans to invest 60 billion euros ($69.7 billion) under a new five-year strategic plan by CEO Antonio Filosa that also targets annual cost savings of 6 billion euros by 2027.

The plan includes putting 36 billion euros toward the company's massive portfolio of automotive brands, with 60% of the investment expected for North America. The company expects to introduce more than 60 new vehicles and conduct major refreshes of 50 models, including all-electric vehicles, hybrids and traditional internal combustion engines.

The other 24 billion euros will be put toward global vehicle platforms and new technologies for the automaker and its products, according to the company.

Stellantis also said it plans to achieve positive free cash flow by 2027 after losing 22.3 billion euros last year with a 22 billion euro restructuring pulling back from all-electric vehicles.

The company is targeting revenue growth across its major global operations through 2030. Most notably, it's aiming for North American revenue growth of 25%, with adjusted operating income, or AOI, of between 8% and 10% in that period. It's also targeting 15% revenue growth and AOI of between 3% and 5% for enlarged Europe. It expects double-digit revenue increases in South America, the Middle East and Africa, with an AOI of between 4% and 6% in Asia-Pacific.

Under the plan, Stellantis will not eliminate any of its 14 automotive brands, but it will fold operations of its DS and Lancia European units into Citroen and Fiat, respectively, according to the company.

Fiat is one of four designated "global brands" alongside Jeep, Ram Trucks and Peugot. That division also includes the Pro One commercial operations. Its regional brands will include Chrysler, Dodge, Citroen, Opel and Alfa Romeo. It also owns luxury brand Maserati.

Shares of Stellantis listed in the U.S., Italy and France.

To assist in reducing costs, Stellantis plans to launch a new "STLA One" vehicle platform in 2027. The new platform is designed to bring together five different platforms into "one scalable architecture, reducing complexity and expanding coverage." It targets achieving 20% cost efficiency, the company said.

By 2030, Stellantis targets 50% of its volume will be produced on three global platforms, with up to 70% component reuse.

Filosa — who began leading the automaker less than a year ago — and other executives are set to lay out details of the "FaSTLAne 2030" plan throughout the day Thursday during his first investor day as CEO at the company's North American headquarters near Detroit.

Stellantis Chairman John Elkann, a scion of Fiat's Agnelli family and CEO of Europe's prominent holding company Exor, on Thursday called the plan "ambitious, but realistic" while outlining industry challenges as well as opportunities for the company under Filosa and his new plan.

The plan's core pillars are "sharper management" of the brand portfolio, new investments, enhanced partnerships, an optimized manufacturing footprint, "excellence in execution" and empowerment of the company's regions and local teams.

"What we want you to take away from today is that Stellantis, with all its assets, its capabilities, and its new strategic plan, is well positioned to succeed," Filosa said to open the event. "You will hear from us today how we leverage our regional roots, our global scale, our partnerships and the new technologies in our journey going forward."

The company this week announced several new or expanded tie-ups that included Jaguar Land Rover for the U.S. as well as with Chinese automakers Leapmotor and Dongfeng Group, primarily for Europe and China.

As Stellantis partners with Chinese automakers, it's also competing against them as many of the companies increase sales in Europe.

Amid such competition, Stellantis said it expects to cut European capacity by more than 800,000 units, while repurposing plants and leveraging partnerships. Filosa said the company plans to reduce production without any plant closures.

In both Europe and the U.S., Stellantis said it targets 80% plant utilization in 2030.

Filling those plants will be a variety, or a "freedom of choice," of products, according to Stellantis. The company's new or refreshened products are expected to include 29 battery-electric vehicles, 15 plug-in hybrid or extended-range electric vehicles, 24 hybrids and 39 mild hybrids or traditional vehicles with internal combustion engines.

"The interest of consumers around hybrids is growing, also pushed by the oil prices, and range-extended [vehicles] actually is a more customer-centric idea," Filosa told CNBC's Phil LeBeau.

The company showed media and analysts at the investor day dozens of new or future vehicles, including 20 for the U.S.

The U.S. vehicles ranged from upcoming Chrysler "Arrow" and "Airflow" crossovers to a surprise Copperhead performance car reminiscent of Dodge's infamous Viper that was discontinued in 2017.

Stellantis head of design Ralph Gilles described all the vehicles as "real" to CNBC, despite at least three — the Copperhead, Ram Ramcharger SUV and a Jeep Scrambler SUV — being well-developed clay models.

"We mean business here," Gilles said when discussing the vehicles inside the automaker's design dome.

Gilles called the Airflow a "super vehicle," which will be the first for the U.S. on the company's new platform that was announced during the investor event.

Other notable vehicles included a new Dodge GLH, a name previously used for a performance hatchback; a midsize Ram Dakota pickup truck; and a compact Rampage pickup truck, which was previously offered outside the U.S.

For Europe, the automaker highlighted many of its current products as well as the upcoming four-door Citroen 2CV hatchback. It plans to launch 13 new vehicles for its storied Fiat brand by 2030.