stellantis Zaragoza The plant faces a new inspection this year when it starts operating on Tuesday, August 16. This is the tenth reaffirmation in its 40-year history and should serve to meet the future with certain guarantees at a time of maximum uncertainty for the auto industry. More than 5,000 workers will return to work in the hope that the 2022-2023 school year will bring less turmoil, more investment and bread under their arms.. There is much at stake not only for the factory itself, but also for the industry and the community economy. El Periódico de Aragón analyzes the challenges ahead.
1. Listed new models are on the rise
One of the highly anticipated news in Figueruelas is the approval of two new models for the factory. The Crossland X and Citroën C3 Aircross will cease production in 2024 and will need to be replaced as soon as possible. The good news could come this fall. will receive more than 42 million euros in aid PERTE accelerating the leap into the digital age and its sustainability. The Peugeot 208 and Lancia Ypsilón (both in electric version) look strong to be great candidates to land on the Figuerulas assembly lines. The first of them was confirmed as one of the leaders in sales this year, and the second is still unknown.
Together with the Renault Captur and the Peugeot 208, these two vehicles will join the Opel Corsa, which became Europe’s best-selling car in June. However, the star model of Figueruelas also has an expiration date as it begins production in 2020, so confirmation that this practice will continue in Zaragoza will be necessary if the plant wants to stay at the forefront.
2. One or two assembly lines?
Figueruelas also faces 2022 with great doubt as to whether the factory will have one or two assembly lines in the future. because all Stellantis factories in Europe have one (except Zaragoza and Vigo). The new platforms that the group wants to launch at its headquarters are considering only electric car production, and the company does not plan to launch gasoline vehicles from 2026. Given this scenario, the group led by Carlos Tavares now has the option to bet on the exciting line 1 of Figuerulas, where Crossland X and Aircross are mounted. Otherwise, it would be the only option for all cars (Corsa, Peugeot 208 and Lancia Ypsilon) to go through line 2. Projects submitted to PERTE do not specifically design this electrification.
In summary, the arrival of new models, the approval of the Corsa, and the presence of an assembly line or two will determine the volume of employment in the factory at a time when the new electric age may already reduce the workforce. . Before the holidays, Production in Figueruelas exceeded 1,800 vehicles per day.
3. Changing the energy pattern
The Aragon plant also plans to consolidate its change in the energy paradigm this year. The challenge is that 80% of what it consumes comes from renewable sources (photovoltaic and wind) before 2024.. Since reducing energy costs has become one of the main pillars of strengthening the competitiveness of the factory, the company will make new statements on this issue after the holiday. The first phase of renewable energy applications, introduced a few weeks ago, will assemble around 35,000 solar panels sitting on an area of 163,000 square meters, preventing 4,200 tons of CO2 from entering the atmosphere.
The unfolding energy crisis in Europe has led many companies to try to lower their energy bills, but Figueruelas starts with the advantage of having enough land to build renewable power plants; are located in the spheres of influence of cities.
4. Microchip crisis
Meanwhile, the Zaragoza plant is confident that the semiconductor crisis will eventually subside. The lack of these microchips has reduced production at Figueruelas by more than 120,000 vehicles since it was triggered in early 2021.”We hope that the return to work will be similar to what we have experienced in the last three years, when we did not have to stop production.”, points to Rubén Alonso, head of the works council of Stellantis Zaragoza. The geopolitical turmoil caused by the war in Ukraine, and now the crisis between the US and China following Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan, could bring back the ghosts of the past to the industry.
5. Funds for electric car
Stellantis Zaragoza has yet another important trick to face during the year as it will receive 42.4 million from PERTE of electric and connected vehicle. Managed by the Stellantis plant in Figueruelas and involving up to 23 technological partners from six communities (almost half from Aragon), the Thesis project plans to assemble new electric models from 2023. The total investment that the automobile group wishes to realize in Figueruelas exceeds 223 million, a figure that can support new projects not only from the parent company but also from subsidiary companies.
6. New agreement and union elections
The working relations and consensus between the company and the unions will also play a decisive role in the future of the factory. There are two prominent milestones in this regard this year: the union elections in October and the new collective bargaining negotiations that will determine the working conditions of more than 5,000 factory workers in the coming years. traditionally The factory has a solid majority of unions to agree on related matters such as: POSTPONE during the pandemic phase or while seeking solutions to try to minimize the effects of the semiconductor crisis.
Trade union organizations are likely to be decisive in the largest industry in Aragon in the coming years, as the industry faces a transition to electric cars, a commitment to technology and autonomous vehicles, and a major energy crisis. To all this, we must add the inflationary pressure that can dominate the collective bargaining negotiations. The much-lauded lease may be the only solution for the Aragon factory. It could be an example to follow.