Seven months after the merger of the car groups PSA (Peugeot, Citroen, Opel) and FCA (Fiat-Chrysler) to form Stellantis, the first half-year report radiates all-round optimism: Because profitability in the first half of 2021 has proven better than expected, the earnings target is raised .

Tobias Piller

Economic correspondent for Italy and Greece based in Rome.

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In detail, Stellantis states that it achieved an operating return of 11.6 percent adjusted for special effects.

Therefore, a value of 10 percent is now promised for the return for the whole of 2021.

Stellantis trusts itself to achieve this goal with the assumption that in the second half of 2021 there will be no additional difficulties for the car company due to the lack of chips, but that the situation will relax.

The operating return of 11.6 percent is a strong figure for a mass manufacturer.

This means that Stellantis also depends on the larger VW group.

After an equally strong first half of the year, it achieved an operating return of 8.8 percent.

North American revenue generator

Stellantis reports consolidated sales of 72.6 billion euros for the first half of 2021.

The theoretical comparison value for 2020, for the group that was not yet merged at the time, was only 19.6 billion euros due to the multiple lockdowns and factory closings in the Corona crisis.

The value of the operating income exempted from special effects, promoted by Stellantis to an important indicator, was 8.6 billion euros, the net profit was 5.8 billion euros.

According to the Stellantis report, outstanding successes were the operating profit margin of 16.1 percent in North America, the success of the Opel Corsa as number one in the small car segment in Germany and Great Britain and the success of the new electric Fiat 500 as the most popular electric city car in ten countries.

The largest sales driver was the North American market with 32.4 billion euros in sales and sales of 873,000 vehicles, ahead of Europe with 32 billion euros in sales and sales of 1.66 million cars.

South America with 424,000 cars sold, the Middle East and Africa with 200,000 sales and China with 102,000 were less important, at least for the time being.

Stellantis plans to double its range of electric cars from 11 to 22 models within the next two years.

In addition, 10 hybrid models and hydrogen-powered delivery vehicles are to come onto the market.