Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa has indicated a major shift in the company’s U.S. strategy, prioritizing traditional hybrid vehicles as the core of its product lineup and moving away from its previous focus on all-electric models.
He affirmed that the company is focusing on standard hybrid systems instead of plug-in hybrids, noting that U.S. consumers do not appear to have strong demand for plug-in models.
“We truly believe that hybrid is going to be one of the favorite powertrains in the U.S.,” Filosa said.
Filosa stressed that Stellantis needs to focus on what U.S. customers currently prefer, rather than relying on previous regulatory expectations.
He highlighted the Jeep Cherokee as a cornerstone of the company’s latest strategy and signaled plans to introduce hybrid powertrains across the U.S. lineup.
The shift comes as Filosa works to stop and recover recent declines in the company’s U.S. market share.
Stellantis U.S. market share was 7% in the first half of the year and rose slightly to 8% in the third quarter
Filosa, who assumed the leadership about six months ago, has already outlined a wider strategy that balances hybrids, traditional gasoline vehicles, and select electric models.
Meanwhile, in response to requests from dealers and customers, Stellantis brought back its HEMI V-8 engine for certain Ram models, generating 10,000 orders on launch day and 50,000 within six weeks—underscoring the demand for conventional engines alongside hybrids.
Stellantis, the parent company of 14 brands such as Jeep, Chrysler, and Ram, is making hybrids a central part of its U.S. expansion strategy.
The focus on mainstream hybrid offerings is intended to reflect customer preferences while managing regulatory transitions and rivalry from other automakers in the hybrid and EV markets.
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