Fca-Psa, possible future models. Second life for the Lancia

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The marriage between the Fca group and Psa goes beyond the intent to create a line-up with solid foundations both in North America, thanks to the Italian-American group, and in Europe, thanks to the Franco-German one. In fact, it also aims to be competitive on the Chinese market. The latter is the most important in the world, as in 2018 it registered 28 million registrations. This is a huge amount, but both Fca and Psa contributed each with a share of less than 1 percent.

A platform for medium electric vehicles
And thinking about the acceleration, also encouraged by the Chinese government, which is taking the electric car in those parts, the realization of a ventilated super-architecture is now topical again, as a starting point for the failed engagement of last spring between the two groups. A modular platform, designed for medium and robust electric cars. In short, a component similar to the Meb of the Volkswagen group which, running a little with the imagination, just like the German one bought "turnkey" by Ford could also be made available to other manufacturers, recovering part of the high design costs, development and industrialization.
Already now, however, the marriage between the two automotive groups outlines a large-scale electrification program in a short time, although not intended from today to tomorrow. In fact, at Psa there are already two multi-energy architectures, the Cmp and the Emp2, as well as an electric powertrain for compact cars and a plug-in hybrid propulsion system for the larger ones that, on the other hand, can originate also all-wheel drive models.

A second life at Lancia?
Here, then, that the Cmp platform and the electric powertrain could also serve to give a second life to Lancia which, despite the dated Ypsilon single-model, is perhaps not worth retiring since it totals sales higher than those of Alfa Romeo. The same module could also support the car that will be extrapolated from the Fiat Centoventi concept. For its part, the Emp2 architecture with the plug-in hybrid powertrain could support future generations of the Giulietta as well as those of suvs such as the Jeep Cherokee, Renegade and Compass, as well as the announced Alfa Romeo Tonale.

Renew the city car
Instead, in the Fca house the imminent launch of the electric Fiat 500, extrapolated from that already produced and sold in North America, can make one think that part of what conceals his clothes could be used by Psa to renew the family of its city cars. Fca can also put the agreement reached with Zf for the supply on the plate, which however the German company cannot carry out before 2021, of the eight-speed automatic gearbox suitable for both 48V and high voltage voltages. In fact, this gearbox integrates a new-concept electrical unit, which can develop power ratings ranging from 32 to 215 hp, along with power electronics and all the accessory components of electrical and electronic networks. In short, this technology can be integrated without complications even into existing architectures. For example, the Giorgio della Giulia and Stelvio platform and the now announced SUV Maserati «Levantina», but also in the French Emp2.

Commercial vehicles
But that is not all. In fact, the commercial vehicle sector in which Fca and Psa are already linked for a long time through Sevel in Val di Sangro, which produces models of the Citroen, Fiat and Peugeot brands based on the same architecture, is also part of the scenario. In fact, Psa has announced that by 2021 in the commercial vehicle families of all its brands there will be full-electric proposals. At this point it is difficult to think that there will also be no Fiat Professional deployment.