Stellantis makes a billion-euro loss in the first half of 2025

Stellantis reports a significant decline in business for the first half of the year. According to the preliminary figures published today, the net loss amounted to 2.3 billion euros. In the previous year, the parent company of brands such as Peugeot, Fiat, Chrysler, and Opel had posted a profit of a good 5.6 billion euros. Stellantis says that the main cost driver was extraordinary expenses of more than 3.3 billion euros, including for discontinued programs, write-downs on technical platforms, and the Group's restructuring. This is therefore partly a paper loss.

At least the two regional brands Jeep and Ram, which are traditionally deeply rooted in North America and only joined the Stellantis universe late, were able to slow down the decline slightly by achieving a combined 13 percent increase in sales year-on-year. In Europe, deliveries of the four so-called “smart cars” Citroën C3 (test) and C3 Aircross, Opel/Vauxhall Frontera, and Fiat Grande Panda, which are optionally available as electric cars, rose by 45% from the first to the second quarter of 2025, corresponding to 25,000 units.

Cost-cutting pressure ends H2 project

The Group pulled the emergency brake on the uneconomical fuel cell drive project: the series production of vans, which has been running since 2021, will be terminated, as will the production of the second generation of medium-sized vans planned for summer 2025, which should have been launched on the market this year.

In day-to-day business, turnover fell from 85 billion euros a year earlier to 74.3 billion euros. In the second quarter, sales fell by six percent to 1.4 million vehicles, and for the first half of the year there was a decline of seven percent to just under 2.7 million vehicles. Things went particularly badly in North America, which used to be so profitable. The operating result adjusted for special effects fell from 8.5 billion euros a year ago to just 0.5 billion.

Management change in the crisis

Stellantis blames higher costs and the weak US dollar, among other things. The new US tariffs have already cost an additional 300 million euros, prompting the manufacturer to revise its forecast for the year back in April. Another persistent problem is that Stellantis has been selling large SUVs and light commercial vehicles less and less well on the North American continent for some time. Carlos Tavares was therefore replaced as Stellantis boss by US manager Antonio Filosa.

Meanwhile, the promise is that Stellantis should recover in the second half of the year thanks to countermeasures. Among other things, new car models should contribute to this.

(fpi)