Stellantis lays ground for mass BEV adoption

STELLANTIS has unveiled its STLA Medium battery electric platform, which the conglomerate will use to underpin up to two million cars annually by decade’s end and claimed to deliver best-in-class energy efficiency, embedded power and charging power, with driving range of up to 700km.

The modular design is designed to meet the requirements of future C- and D-segment vehicles, which accounted for 35 million global sales in 2022 – or nearly half of the 78.5 million vehicles sold globally that year.

As of 2023, Stellantis brands offer 26 vehicle nameplates in those segments on a variety of platforms. Consolidating these onto a single design brings obvious benefits, not least of all a fatter profit margin.

“What we see today is the product of just over two years of no-compromise innovation to deliver clean, safe and affordable mobility, supported by our €30 billion ($A49.2b) investment in electrification and software through 2025,” said Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares.

“The STLA Medium platform demonstrates the power of the global Stellantis technical community, delivering products that are hyper-focused on our customers and rewriting long-held assumptions of transportation as we drive for carbon net zero by 2038.”

Mr Tavares said the STLA Medium architecture is the first of four global battery electric vehicle (BEV) platforms that will underpin the Stellantis product portfolio in future.

It is also seen as key to helping the company achieve 100 per cent BEV sales in Europe and a 50 per cent passenger car and light-duty truck mix in the United States by 2030.

Body styles will include passenger cars and SUVs with a wheelbase that can range between 2700mm and 2900mm and an overall vehicle length of between 4300mm and 4900mm. Ground clearance of “more than 220mm” is available to ensure “off-road capability and performance”.

With up to 98kWh of stored energy, the 400-volt battery unit of the STLA Medium platform will deliver “more than 700km” with a Performance Pack option and 500km in Standard Pack guise based on WLTP criteria.

Depending on the vehicle’s size and driveline configuration (front- and all-wheel drive will be available), consumption “can be less than 14kWh per 100km”.

Charging time for a 20 to 80 per cent top-up is quoted at 27 minutes at a rate of 2.4kWh per minute. Motor output is listed at 160kW in single motor form and 285kW with a second power unit fitted.

First announced at the Stellantis EV Day in 2021, the new modular platform family is designed with provisions for future battery chemistries, including nickel- and cobalt-free and solid-state technologies enabling Stellantis brands “to tailor vehicle capabilities for the ideal balance of cost and performance”.

The electrical architecture also features over-the-air (OTA) capabilities which allow software updates to be more easily offered to Stellantis customers.

It is expected that the first vehicle to be produced on the STLA Medium platform will be the next-generation Peugeot 3008 SUV which will be revealed towards the end of 2023.