Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) prepares to restart production of its Panda small car at its plant in Pomigliano, near Naples located in southern Italy, on June 16, a union representative said on Wednesday.
The government and automakers had enforced shutdowns of factories to control the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.
The resumption, initially scheduled for June 8, had been delayed this month due to weak demand in the face of the coronavirus crisis.
The company has informed unions that production would resume at pre-crisis levels, stated Gianluca Ficco of the UILM union.
“FCA informed us it aimed to give continuity of production and jobs, even if that will also depend on demand, which is still very weak,” Ficco stated. “So we can’t rule out further stops if demand proves too weak”.
A representative for the Italian-American automaker confirmed strategies to resume Panda production on June 16.
FCA has already restarted regular production of vans and of Jeep’s Renegade and Compass models in Italy, along with preparatory work for the new electric Fiat 500 small car.
Ficco stated he hoped that the new hybrid version of the Panda would assist with supporting volumes and that the government would agree measures to support demand and production in the Italian automotive industry.
Italy is thinking about incentives of up to 4,000 euros ($4,550) to purchase the latest generation of petrol and diesel cars, joining France and Germany in providing support to an industry that has been hit hard by the ongoing coronavirus crisis.
