Stellantis Plans to Hire Hundreds More Engineers in Europe, US

Stellantis NV Chief Engineering and Technology Officer Ned Curic plans to continue hiring more engineers as the automaker rolls out dozens of new models as part of its turnaround plan.

“There’s room for growth, I am hiring,” Curic said in an interview on the sidelines of the Paris car show. “This year we will hire multiple hundreds additional engineers in the different locations throughout Europe and United States.”

Stellantis showcased more than 60 vehicles from eight brands, including nine concept cars, at the show, indicating a heavy workload for the group’s engineering and design teams. The display comes after Chief Executive Officer Antonio Filosa unveiled a major investment push in May to help improve profitability.

The hiring plan contrasts with competitors, who’ve been reducing their workforces, including engineers. Volkswagen AG, Europe’s biggest carmaker, is seeking to cut some 15% of its staff globally. Renault SA in April said it plans to cut as much as 20% of its global engineering workforce to save costs.

Filosa is seeking to bundle spending and reap efficiencies across the company’s brands that have overlap on competing for similar mass-market customers. The CEO, who took over last year, has pledged to spend some €60 billion ($67 billion) through 2030 to bring out dozens of new models.

Budget Car

These include the all-electric Citroën 2CV budget car, unveiled this week as a concept at the Paris show. It’ll be co-developed with the group’s Chinese partner Zhejiang Leapmotor Technology Co.

The new 2CV “could become an icon car like the Fiat 500 or the Polo,” analysts led by JPMorgan’s Jose Asumendi said in a note.

Read More: Stellantis to Make Affordable EV With Leapmotor in Italy

Stellantis also has started co-development of a new electric Opel SUV with Leapmotor. The various projects are a significant test to tap Chinese technology and build more affordable electric cars in Europe.

“Just like they have taken insights into how we build things and we teach them how to do things, we have taken insights into how they do things and we are improving ourselves,” Curic said, speaking about the Leapmotor partnership.

There’s still plenty of room for Stellantis engineers in countries such as France, Italy and Germany, the executive said.

“This is the hill I personally will die on,” Curic said. “It’s so critical for us that engineering stays and happens in Europe.”