Automaker Stellantis’s battery electric vehicle sales rose 50% year on year to 136,000 units in the first half of 2022 due to accelerating sales of low emission vehicles, the company said July 28.
The company was ranked second in BEV sales and LEV sales in the EU market, as well as third in the US LEV market, it said, adding its BEV offering included 20 models, with 28 more to be released through 2024.
To support BEV production, Stellantis said it had confirmed locations for five gigafactories — three in Europe and two in North America — through partnerships with Automotive Cells Company, Samsung SDI and LG Energy Solutions.
Stellantis also secured battery metal supply through agreements for low-carbon lithium hydroxide with Vulcan Energy in Europe and Controlled Thermal Resources in North America.
Higher EV demand has boosted prices of battery raw materials, with Platts seaborne lithium hydroxide assessment up 137% since the start of 2022 to $75,000/mt CIF North Asia on July 27, S&P Global Commodity Insights data showed.
Total shipments down 7.5%
Despite strong BEV sales, Stellantis’s overall consolidated shipments in H1 fell 7.5% year on year to 2.9 million units, mainly due to the impact of unfilled semiconductor orders, it said.
In Enlarged Europe, its largest market, H1 shipments fell 18% to 1.4 million vehicles, primarily due to the semiconductor shortage, although that was partly offset by demand for new vehicles, Stellantis said.
North America shipments were up 9.85% to 959,000 units, due to strong demand for the new Wagoneer/Grand Wagoneer Grand Cherokee L and Chrysler Pacifica, as well as a mid-cycle refresh of the Jeep Compass, it said.
H1 shipments to South America slipped 4.95% to 403,000 units, while consolidated shipments to the Middle East and Africa was steady year n year at 138,000 units.
Shipments to China, India and the Asia Pacific region were up 1.6% to 62,000 units, while shipments of Maserati were down 5.6% to 10,200 vehicles.
Outlook cut further
The automaker lowered its 2022 outlook for Enlarged Europe and North America, with the former now expected to fall 12%, from the previous 2% fall, and the latter to drop 8%, rather than be stable, as expected at the end of Q1.
It also lowered the outlook for South America, where it now expected 2022 shipments to be stable.
At the start of the year, all three regions had initially been expected to grow 3% in 2022.
Outlook for all other regions remained unchanged, India and Asia Pacific to see a 5% increase, and China and the Middle East and Africa forecast to be stable.
— Jacqueline Holman
