Jump to content
Create New...
  • 🚗 Your People Are Here. Get In.

    The internet is full of car content. This is the community.

    Cheers & Gears has been bringing enthusiasts together since 2001. Join the conversation, show off your garage, and find your people.

  • William Maley
    William Maley

    FCA's Sergio Marchionne Skeptical on Tesla Model 3

      FCA's CEO isn't sure how Tesla is going to make a profit on the Model 3

    Fiat Chrysler Automobile's CEO Sergio Marchionne is someone who speaks his mind - for better or worse. Speaking with Automotive News Europe, Marchionne expressed his skepticism on the recently unveiled Tesla Model 3, specifically on how they can make a profit.

     

    "I'm am not surprised by the high number of reservations but you have then to build and deliver them and also be profitable," Marchionne said.

     

    The Model 3 is Tesla entry into the mass-market EV segment with a $35,000 pricetag. At the moment, reservations for the new model are nearing 400,000. Marchionne doesn't see how Tesla could make money on it.

     

    But Marchionne went on to say if Tesla's Elon Musk "can show me that the car will be profitable at that price, I will copy the formula, add the Italian design flair and get it to the market within 12 months."

     

    Considering this is the same person who railed against EVs for years, it is a bit of a shock. Asked if he thinks the company is arriving late to the EV party, Marchionne said: “better late than sorry.”

     

    Source: Automotive News Europe (Subscription Required)

    User Feedback

    Recommended Comments

    WOW, Talk about an Idiot. This from a guy who has stolen BILLIONS for the so called revival of Alfa, instrumental to the success of FCA long term rather than reinvest that money into the lines that already exist and bump up quality.

     

    If he really wanted to build an EV he would have done it already like GM rather than wait till everyone else has done it, and then follow along way too late and still loosing.

     

    This guy is not only NOT a car guy, but has NO business sense and the board really needs to kick his lazy ass out.

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    He is an idiot who has no clue.  There is no possible way they could copy any car and get it to market in 12 months.  Let alone something like an electric that takes more development.  When is the last time FCA developed a good car?  The last good car was the 2005 Chrysler 300 and that was in the Daimler era.  

     

    The Fiat 500 had Italian flare, that failed, the 500x was a crossover with Italian flare, it probably the only crossover ever to fail, the Alfa 4C has no sales, the Guilia has long over due and likely over budget and likely won't sell.  Maserati Ghibli was a bust, Fiat 500L a total disaster.  The only hits they have had were the Jeep Cherokee revival and Renegade.  The Grand Cherokee is a success, but was already in place long before Sergio took over.  Dodge Dart is biblically terrible, Avenger dead, no mid-size car at all, Chrysler 200 is sold to rental agencies, and was put on death row 2 years after going on sale.

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites



    Join the conversation

    You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
    Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

    Guest
    Add a comment...

    ×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

      Only 75 emoji are allowed.

    ×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

    ×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

    ×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.




  • Support Independent Automotive Journalism

    25 years of honest automotive coverage — because someone has to do it.

    Cheers & Gears has never been filtered by manufacturer relationships or driven by algorithm. Just real people, real opinions, and a genuine love of cars. Subscribers keep the lights on and get an ad-light experience starting at $2.25/month.*

    View subscription options

    *A small number of ads feature member-exclusive coupon deals and will still appear.

  • Similar Content

  • Posts

    • Yeah, given Stellantis' quality/reliability issues, a 5000lb SUV w/ a 2.0 turbo 4 just seems like asking for trouble.   
    • Thanks. I did not know that they were at a 4 cylinder. On a GM, 1.5 liters is 90 c.i., so they have to append a turbo to it.  In looking at the Nissan Sentra, they use a 2.0 L4, for example ... 120 cubes is a displacement that has been standard lingo across many car brands for years. Once the Charger, which had been continuously revised to become such a nice car, left the fold, my interest in Stellantis it is all but gone.
    • For the smaller crossovers, I've found the Chevy Equinox quite pleasant to drive.  Comfortable seats, smooth ride, even w/ the 1.5 turbo 4, decent power for freeway driving.  I've driven my sister's '23 LT quite a bit around town and on short road trips the last few years.  Good ergonomics and layout, Car Play and Android Auto work fine.  More back seat room than my Grand Cherokee.  Easy to get in and out of.   I haven't looked at the new generation model that came out of '25, though.   My sister looked at the 25 when had her 23 in for service, thought the new one was ugly.   As for myself, if I were shopping for a new car, don't know what I would get.  My Jeep and Cadillac are both in excellent condition and paid for..and working from home, no real need for a new vehicle.   I don't think I'd get another Grand Cherokee given Stellantis' quality problems in recent years and that the '26 GC comes with a 4 cyl standard.   
    • Since I  haven't yet decided which side of the pond and if I wanted to throw out a little bit more money and it didn't have to be a car, I could choose a GMC Acadia.  Of the vehicles which were not sedans that I've rented, this one might be the most pleasing in terms of looks, comfort, and ride. I am almost sure I've reviewed it in the knot too distant past.  It has a slightly bigger engine ... since the number 1.5, as in liters, gives me heartburn.  
    • If I've deleted some from the list, it's because they're not in my price point. No thank you to expensive German iron.  I don't like spending a lot of money on cars. Some comments: I've rented the K4 and they work just fine, but it has a lot of nasty angles, especially the long tear drop tail lights and even the side of the greenhouse I do like the Toyota Camry ... at last they got it right The Honda Civic used to be an ugly duckling and now it's actually a decent looking car with a good amount of room.  I had a rented Honda Accord in South Florida, which I reviewed here and, better yet, it was a hybrid. These Hyundais are not very attractive and the jellybean one (Sonata) looks cheap when you get up close to it. I like the Nissan Sentra. I can't believe I'm saying that. The Cadillac is the only one on this list that is a GM car ... and which I like.  If not optioned up, the price point isn't that bad. The Charger is electric, so no.  But hybrid is fine. But where this leaves me is that there isn't much choice at all for those wanting to redeem what they've accumulated on their GM Card.  It wasn't like throwing money to the wind because you still make use of the credit card, but I would have not continued having a car card if I knew the market would be changing like this.  I would have fared better with another airline card.
  • Who's Online (See full list)

  • My Clubs

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.

Hey there, we noticed you're using an ad-blocker. We're a small site that is supported by ads or subscriptions. We rely on these to pay for server costs and vehicle reviews.  Please consider whitelisting us in your ad-blocker, or if you really like what you see, you can pick up one of our subscriptions for just $1.75 a month or $15 a year. It may not seem like a lot, but it goes a long way to help support real, honest content, that isn't generated by an AI bot.

See you out there.

Drew
Editor-in-Chief

Write what you are looking for and press enter or click the search icon to begin your search