Automotive giant Stellantis announced plans to build battery electric light commercial vehicles (LCV) in Portugal.
Starting in early 2025, Mangualde Production Center in Portugal will assemble the Citroën ë-Berlingo, Peugeot e-Partner, Opel Combo-e and Fiat e-Doblò models, both in light commercial and passenger versions.
Mangualde will become the first Portuguese plant to produce large series fully battery electric cars for the domestic and export markets at launch.
The announcement was made during a visit by His Excellency, the President of the Portuguese Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, His Excellency, the Prime Minister, António Costa, and His Excellency, the Minister for the Economy and Maritime Affairs, António Costa Silva, as part of the Government’s “PRR (Recovery and Resilience Plan) on the Move” initiative.
Stellantis Mangualde leads one of the mobilizing agendas for business innovation with the “GreenAuto” project, which brings together a consortium of 37 partner entities, who attended the event, and represents a joint investment of €119 million.
In 2022, Stellantis was the light commercial vehicle BEV market leader in Europe with nearly 43% market share. In Portugal, the Company was the leader in 2022 in BEV sales, with 22% share, and in the sale of electric commercial vehicles with a 54% market share.
The Stellantis plant in Mangualde, which last year celebrated its 60th anniversary and was the first auto assembly plant in Portugal, has produced more than 1.5 million vehicles to date. Nearly one in every four vehicles produced in Portugal comes from the Mangualde production line. It launched production of the current generation of vehicles in 2018.
This announcement ensures the future of the plant and confirms the importance of this manufacturing site for the Portuguese economy, Gross Domestic Product and Exports, as well as for employment and the development of the business and industrial fabric of this region.
This new era of production will see a transformation of the Mangualde plant “fit for the future” with new facilities, both in general assembly as well as in the body shop, the optimization of the industrial area, and the creation of a new battery assembly line. The Company has invested in modernizing and updating its facilities and production processes, while also increasingly stressing its commitment to the environment and to reducing emissions, in addition to a strong commitment to innovation.
In support of the Stellantis goal of being carbon net zero by 2038, the Mangualde plant completed the second phase of its solar energy park. When concluded, the solar park will provide up to 31% of the plant’s annual electricity needs, displacing 2,500 tons of CO2 emissions a year, equivalent to the CO2 capturing performance of about 16,000 trees. The facility is aiming for more projects in green energy and energy storage, including one in collaboration with the Municipality of Mangualde and nearby companies that can also benefit from capturing this renewable energy.
The plant currently produces light commercial vehicles and passenger versions of the Citroën Berlingo/Berlingo Van, Fiat Doblò, Opel Combo/Combo Cargo, and Peugeot Partner/Rifter.
Stellantis is investing more than €30 billion through 2025 in electrification and software to deliver BEVs that meet customer demands.
