In the past few weeks, Stellantis has shelved its self-driving program, dialed back its EV targets, and pulled the plug on hydrogen. At the same time, it’s dusted off its old-school V8 in a bid to generate some easy headlines. The Hemi’s done that, but with no clear bet on the technologies shaping the industry’s future, the question is unavoidable: does Stellantis still have one?
Lost in the chaotic headlines of this summer’s tariffs, trade wars, Robotaxis, and diners was the announcement that Stellantis has quietly discontinued its hydrogen fuel cell development program, citing limited hydrogen refueling infrastructure, high capital requirements, and a lack of consumer incentives.
Taken in isolation, that decision makes sense. Hydrogen is expensive, complicated, and unlikely to win broad consumer or even commercial adoption any time soon. But in context, with Chrysler’s all-electric 2028 goal walked back, “electric muscle cars” struggling to gain traction, and billions in advanced driver-assist systems now seemingly wasted, the big picture is a bit more troubling for the Mopar faithful.
Is Stellantis the next Nissan?
On the surface, it probably seems like Nissan and Stellantis have a lot in common. Both struggling carmakers who had big product wins in the 1990s and early 2000s who slowly became more and more mainstream to the point that their current product lines could really come from any brand. Unlike Nissan, however, Stellantis doesn’t have a hot, capable new product in China like an N7 to pin its hopes on.
Instead, Stellantis has something like nostalgia — and you see that in almost all its brands, from the barely-known in the US Lancia HF proto rally car to the Fiat 500e and on through the ICE-powered Charger. I’d might argue that you’d be hard pressed to find a modern Mopar fan that’s as excited about an original new product as they are about re-hashing the past or “bringing back” some antiquated tech.
So, no: Stellantis likely isn’t the next Nissan.
Stellantis is much worse off
A good friend of mine has spent the last several months building a new app — one that, if successful, has the potential to make him buttloads of money. “It could also do nothing,” he said to me last Saturday. “I might have eight subscribers next year, or eighty thousand. You never know.”
It occurred to me that there was a more terrible, unmentioned third option in there, as well: moderate success. That’s infinitely worse because, if it’s a hit, you cash out. If it’s a dog, you just cut your losses and move on. If it’s kind of petering along making $2-3K a month?
I don’t know about you guys, but that’s simultaneously too much money for me to walk away from but not enough to radically improve my lifestyle. Especially if it effectively requires me to work a second full time job.
With the possible exception of the new-for-2007 R35 GTR, Nissan had nothing but dogs in its portfolio two years ago, and the aging Gen X-ers who might swing on a new-age Hardbody or Setra SE-R are all buying crossovers these days, so its recent decisions to cut bait and invest in a raft of new products makes sense. Stellantis, meanwhile, is stuck in that horrible middle ground.
Think about it. Stellantis still has some profitable Jeep and Ram models propping up the balance sheet and a long history of brands coming back from the brink. As such, they can keep going, confident in their proven history of pulling it back at the eleventh hour. They may yet, but for now, it’s hard to shake the feeling that Stellantis is retreating just as the rest of the industry pushes forward.
Here’s hoping they get that nostalgia right, haul Tom Gale out of retirement, and come back swinging with a new Neon at next year’s Detroit Auto Show. I think that would set them on the right path — but maybe it’s too late for a simple, compact sedan to gain mass appeal and rebuild their customer base. Let us know what you think about Stellantis’ future in the comments.
Original content from Electrek.
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