Stellantis to strike more partnerships in Italy for Maserati, e-cars, CEO says

MILAN, June 17 (Reuters) - Stellantis is in talks with potential partners for two more manufacturing deals in Italy, including for its struggling luxury brand Maserati, the automaker's CEO said on Wednesday during a parliamentary hearing in Rome.

Chief Executive Antonio Filosa, who took the top job at the French-Italian group a year ago, said he was in a negotiation on behalf of Maserati "with two important partners, which can bring us technology, development and excellent ideas".

"We're choosing which one to continue with in the future," he said, responding to lawmakers' questions.

Filosa last month unveiled Stellantis' €60 billion business plan to 2030, with 60 new models globally and new partnerships including production tie-ups with Chinese groups Leapmotor and Dongfeng.

Maserati is due to present its own strategy in December.

A new deal for Maserati will have a positive impact on production rates at the Cassino and Modena plants in Italy, where the brand's models are manufactured, Filosa said.

He also denied recurring speculation of a sale of Maserati - which recently included that of an interest from China's BYD - and of the Cassino facility, one of the group's least utilised sites in Europe.

"Maserati is not for sale, for sure, Cassino is not for sale, for sure," he said. "What can happen in Cassino, as will happen in other plants, is to have partnerships for cooperation and development".

E-CAR PARTNERSHIP

As part of its long-term strategy, Stellantis also announced plans to build e-cars - small, affordable, fully electric vehicles costing around €15,000 - in Italy's Pomigliano plant, near Naples.

"Clearly e-cars are something we will do with a partner and we're finalising the deal," Filosa said, adding all new partnerships Stellantis is pursuing will see it having a 51% stake, as is the case for those deals it already announced with Leapmotor and Dongfeng.

The CEO said Stellantis aimed at producing at least two e-car models in Pomigliano, but he hoped for three.

FILLING CAPACITY

Manufacturing agreements will help Stellantis achieve its "challenging" target of improving its capacity utilisation in Europe to over 80% by 2030.

"We will achieve it in particular through an increase in volumes thanks to our new model launches and improved quality, the reconversion of some plants and industrial partnerships, which will allow us to share production capacity and know-how," Filosa told lawmakers.

Stellantis, whose other brands include Fiat, Peugeot and Jeep, last month said its capacity utilisation in Europe currently ran at 60%.

Europe, Stellantis' largest market along with North America, will get around 40% of the plan's overall investments.

(Reporting by Giulio Piovaccari, editing by Alvise Armellini and Keith Weir)