KUALA LUMPUR: Stellantis Group is revamping its Peugeot operations in Malaysia by directly handling its distribution and sales here.
This will see Stellantis having its own national sales company, while the role of its local partner Bermaz Auto Bhd is scaled down to super dealer from exclusive distributor, sources said.
Stellantis chief operating officer for Asean and general distributors Daniel Gonzalez is expected to announce this at a conference call later this morning.
"Stellantis has extended an exclusive invitation to its dealer owners and principle partners to a virtual meeting this morning," a source said.
"As one of our esteemed partners, your presence is requested as we unveil a game-changing development that is set to change the way we do business together," according to the invitation sighted by Business Times.
"This announcement will mark a significant milestone in our ongoing commitment to further develop the Peugeot brand in Malaysia while fostering mutually-beneficial partnerships," it added.
Stellantis recently outlined its plans for new mobility solutions for the Asean region which included its ambition to lead the shift to electrification.
The group is one of the world's largest automakers with 14 iconic brands such as Citroën, Ram, Maserati, Alfa Romeo and Jeep, besides Peugeot.
Stellantis is aiming to bring its STLA Medium platform to Asean which was unveiled globally in June this year.
STLA Medium is a global BEV-by-design vehicle platform with state-of-the-art features including best-in-class range of 700 kilometres, energy efficiency, embedded power and charging power.
In line with its goal to achieve the bold ambitions of its Dare Forward 2030 strategy, Stellantis is investing over RM2 billion (€400 million) to introduce the STLA Medium platform.
The platform enables Stellantis to produce multi-energy vehicles such as battery electric vehicles (EVs), internal combustion engine (ICE) and MHEV in Asean for Asean.
This can result in local sourcing opportunities for local suppliers and manufacturers of over RM5 billion (€990 million) within the next four years.
"Stellantis' Asean growth and expansion plans align with the company's global commitment to achieve net carbon zero output by 2038 by reducing its environmental impact and promoting sustainability," Gonzalez said recently.
He added that the potential of EVs is immense in Asean and the company wanted to lead the expansion of electrification in this region.
"Producing EVs here in Asean includes the development and engineering of vehicles tailored to the specific needs of local consumers in this region.
In Malaysia, Stellantis acquired 100 per cent ownership of a plant in Gurun, Kedah in 2021 and established its India and Asia Pacific regional headquarters in Kuala Lumpur as part of its "Built in Asean for Asean" roadmap.
Stellantis is evaluating the potential of the Gurun plant as a regional manufacturing hub to manufacture BEVs for both domestic and export markets in Asean.
The plant currently produces key Peugeot models including 2008, 3008 and 5008 which are distributed to markets in the region including Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Cambodia.
Additional growth initiatives in the region include the establishment of a fully functional regional training academy and centre for competency-based upskilling in product, commercial, and sfter-sales services.
Stellantis, with over €180 billion in net revenues in 2022 and a commercial presence in 130 markets, aims to have over 75 BEVs and reach global annual BEV sales of five million vehicles by 2030.