Europe

The recently established Stellantis Group, as the fourth largest automotive conglomerate in the world, is bringing the manufacturing of the new generation 1.6-litre petrol engines to Szentgotthárd, Hungary.

The engine, which is designed for hybrid cars, will be produced at a yearly output of 200 thousand items, in addition to the production of 350 thousand items of 1.2-litre petrol engines every year. Series production will start in the first half of 2023. The related capacity improvement, which is envisaged to be about 50%, will lead to a considerable growth in the headcount, as compared to the current staff of 800 employees.

Stellantis was formed this January through the merger of the Italian-American Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and the French PSA automotive concern. Stellantis has factories in more than 30 countries, giving work to over 400 thousand people around the world. The Group is engaged in the manufacturing of 14 brands, among others Fiat, Chrysler, Opel, Peugeot, Citroën, Jeep, Maserati and Alfa Romeo, and has set it as an objective to take the lead in sustainable mobility.

The plant in Szentgotthárd, having been involved in engine manufacturing for 28 years, made a shift at the beginning of January 2020. It adapted its production and assembly lines to the manufacturing of the 1.2-litre 3-cylinder turbo PSA EB petrol engines and EP cylinder heads, with the former having earned the title "Engine of the Year" four times already. With this, the plant has practically replaced its earlier manufacturing portfolio, and today the factory in Szentgotthárd is one of those units among the Stellantis plants in Europe that produce 1.2-litre PureTech petrol engines, at a yearly capacity of 350 thousand items.

Szentgotthárd will immensely benefit from the fact that the manufacturing of the new generation 1.6-litre PureTech petrol engines is being brought to Hungary, and will take advantage of it as an opportunity for enlargement, since its introduction is planned to be accomplished in parallel with the uninterrupted production of the 1.2-litre engines. The above new type of engine is intended for hybrid cars mostly. According to plans, after the series production commences in the first half of 2023, the production output will reach 200 thousand items per year.

The main engine components, notably the crankshaft, the crank chamber and the cylinder head, will be processed in Szentgotthárd, and this will be the assembly and testing site for the engines too. The production of the new engines will require the conversion of the current production lines. The majority of the design and execution processes will be implemented in-house by the factory's own engineers and experts.