Analysis: Fiat Must Cut Capacity in Europe
To balance capacity with demand, Fiat SpA needs to eliminate 700,000 units of annual capacity the equivalent of two assembly plants in Europe, says Bloomberg News.
To balance capacity with demand, Fiat SpA needs to eliminate 700,000 units of annual capacity the equivalent of two assembly plants in Europe, says Bloomberg News.
The new service cites a Deutsche Bank analysis that warns Fiat's plan to turn some of its factories into export hubs for high-end vehicles is unlikely to generate enough output to avoid the cuts.
The bank notes that Fiat's big plant in Mirafiori is running at only 23% of its 300,000-unit annual capacity. Fiat is using less of its capacity than any other carmaker in Europe, Bloomberg says. It cites a Barclays Bank plc estimate that underutilization is costing Fiat $345 million per month.
Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne has described the company's current overcapacity as unsustainable. But he also insists that Fiat's plan to add new models and expand annual output in Europe to 2 million units in four years from about 1.25 million currently is "not a hazardous strategy."
RELATED CONTENT
-
On Fuel Cells, Battery Enclosures, and Lucid Air
A skateboard for fuel cells, building a better battery enclosure, what ADAS does, a big engine for boats, the curious case of lean production, what drivers think, and why Lucid is remarkable
-
Increasing Use of Structural Adhesives in Automotive
Can you glue a car together? Frank Billotto of DuPont Transportation & Industrial discusses the major role structural adhesives can play in vehicle assembly.
-
Cobots: 14 Things You Need to Know
What jobs do cobots do well? How is a cobot programmed? What’s the ROI? We asked these questions and more to four of the leading suppliers of cobots.