Stellantis announced today that it would invest over 300 million euros in the Kenitra production plant to double its production capacity and launch the "smart car" platform. The announcement came at the same time as meetings with the Head of Government, the Minister of Industry and Commerce, and the Minister Delegate of the Head of Government for investments, convergence, and evaluation of Moroccan public policies. The company's Dare Forward 2030 strategy plan calls for increasing production capacity to one million vehicles per year by 2030 with local integration of 70%; therefore, this is one factor supporting the company's objectives for the growth of the Middle East and Africa region.
"We are happy to celebrate today a major new milestone in the life of our Kenitra facility in conjunction with the Moroccan Ministry of Industry and Trade," Samir Cherfan, Stellantis Chief Operating Officer for the Middle East and Africa, said. In a statement, Stellantis said, "Together, we have succeeded in making Kenitra a flagship industrial site for Stellantis and transforming it into a key component for the realization of our objectives in the Middle East and Africa region, exploiting the potential of the newly launched "smart car" platform, which will constitute the backbone of our vehicle offering for the region by 2030."
Stellantis and the government of Morocco signed a Strategic Industrial Agreement in 2015 intending to foster the growth of the country's automotive sector. Today's announcement is a part of that agreement. "This new phase of the Stellantis project in Morocco shows that the Kingdom is one of the most competitive carbon-free automotive and industrial platforms in the world, thanks to the vision and leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI," said M. Commercial and Industrial Minister Ryad Mezzour.
Since it opened in 2019, the Kenitra facility has always been more efficient and of higher quality than what was outlined in the Strategic Industrial Agreement.
With the news today, the plant's annual output would increase from 200,000 to 400,000 cars, including 50,000 Citroen Ami and 50,000 Opel Rocks-e electric vehicles. The "smart car" platform was based on the Stellantis line, which will make up 40% of the mobility options in the area by 2030.
It is estimated that the investment will result in the addition of about 2,000 jobs to the area. Stellantis will pay for its employees' education to retrain them.
Stellantis has successfully integrated 69% of its workforce locally, intending to encourage regional activities to help the company reach its ultimate goal of becoming a well-structured organization that knows how to make the most of in-region talent.
Environmentally, the system is an energy optimization model, consuming only 425 kilowatt hours per vehicle manufactured. Soon, the system will also access renewable sources, whose growth is supported by Morocco's national energy transition and sustainable development strategy.
Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares said, "The Middle East and Africa region's continued development will boost Stellantis' worldwide ambition by helping to create a third engine for Stellantis to be added to North America and Europe." I have faith that the teams working in the area will be able to achieve double-digit margin market leadership and long-term, sustainable growth as they push forward the energy transformation. Stellantis is dedicated to providing our Middle Eastern and African clients with secure, reliable, and environmentally friendly mobility solutions.
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