Pete Buttigieg slams Ford employee suspension over Trump heckler
Former U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg said at the Detroit Auto Show on January 14, 2026, that his sympathies are with workers, not President Trump.
- Six months into his role as CEO of Stellantis, Antonio Filosa said he is confident about the brand’s future.
- Filosa did not rule out the possibility of the automaker’s 15-brand portfolio shrinking.
- He said relations with dealers and the UAW, which had been strained under the previous CEO, are improving.
After six months on the job, Stellantis’ new CEO Antonio Filosa said he is “very enjoying” the role of leading one of the world’s largest automakers.
Filosa met on the floor of the Detroit Auto Show this week with members of the news media, including the Detroit Free Press, part of the USA TODAY Network, to discuss the future of a brand that is executing a turnaround plan and recovering from years of declining sales and strained relationships with stakeholders including its dealers and the United Auto Workers union.
Here are Filosa’s five key takeaways during a 30-minute conversation with a reporter over a paper cup of espresso at the Stellantis booth at the car show.
Do you want to keep all the brands? “Interesting question”
Filosa did not rule out the possibility of downsizing or changing the large international portfolio of car brands.
With sales and profits scattering for Stellantis, which owns North American nameplates Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram and 10 other European badges, as well as a large stake in Chinese automaker Leap Motors, many expected the brand to sell or discontinue some of its underperforming brands, including Maserati and Alfa Romeo in the United States.
Asked if he plans to keep his family together, Filosa said it was an interesting question and that he intended to tackle it in earnest at Capital Markets Day in 2026.
“We’re privileged, aren’t we?” Filosa said of the brand’s vast portfolio. “Everyone wants to own a Jeep, Ram, Dodge, Chrysler, Fiat, Peugeot, Citroen or Opel, so we’re honored to have some of the biggest, historic brands in our portfolio.”
Stellantis hasn’t announced a date yet, but “we’re going to discuss that as well” on Capital Markets Day, Filosa said.
Filosa says he’s ‘enjoying’ his time as CEO
Mr. Filosa took over as CEO in June, and in his first six months has faced a changing market and regulatory landscape as the federal government has challenged all automakers with blanket tariffs and the removal of broad federal support for electrification.
But despite the potentially stressful first few months on the job, Filosa said she’s doing well personally and enjoying the role.
“It’s a lot of fun,” Filosa said with a smile. “I love my job. I love the people I work with. I love our team. I love our brand. How can I be sad?”
“We’ve had a challenging year,” he said, adding that he was confident about the future.
“But if the question is about myself, I’m happy. I’m married, a strong family, a good family,” he said.
Filosa said his CEO position relocated him to the Detroit metropolitan area and he has spent about half of his time in the United States over the past six months.
Relationship with dealers is being repaired
Filosa’s predecessor, Carlos Tavares, will leave Stellantis at the end of 2024. During the final months of his tenure, tensions rose between the company’s upper management and the dealers in the network.
Dealers sent a scathing letter to Tavares in September 2024, calling his leadership decisions short-sighted and accusing him of bringing “disaster” to the dealerships. The letter argues that Tavares is prioritizing short-term success in 2023 (a year in which the company secured record profits) over long-term survival, and that dealers face weak sales and declining market share in 2024. Dealers also criticized Mr. Tavares for cutting jobs while reaping a paycheck of about $40 million in 2023.
Filosa said the brand has “significantly” improved its relationships with dealers by diversifying its powertrain offerings and staying in constant contact.
“We are in constant dialogue with our dealers,” Filosa said, adding that he responds to all messages he receives from them. “I’m happy with the way the relationship is progressing and I believe it can improve further.”
Union relations also improved
Similarly, Tavares and the UAW had a contentious relationship during his time leading the company. The UAW led a months-long campaign against Mr. Tavares, holding frequent rallies and at one point threatening to attack the company for not fulfilling a contract negotiated in 2023.
Filosa said he is also working to maintain better relations between the company and its unions, which have been dramatically troubled over the past few years.
“As a team, we were able to re-address some past disputes and build relationships with unions, dealers and suppliers,” Filosa said. “Every day it gets better and better.”
Filosa also cited the company’s $13 billion investment in its Midwest operations, the largest in the company’s 100-year history, which is expected to create approximately 5,000 additional jobs at the Stellantis factory and an additional 20,000 jobs at third-party suppliers.
“Our projection is 25,000 jobs overall. Obviously, that’s good news not only for us but for the (UAW),” Filosa said.
Ever-changing EV strategy
In a year of rapid change in U.S. electric vehicle policy, Stellantis has retired, canceled or transitioned several EVs in an effort to revive and reinvigorate the internal combustion engine.
The brand discontinued production of all plug-in hybrid vehicles this month, including the Jeep Wrangler and Grand Cherokee 4x. Ram has discontinued its electric pickup and instead focused on an extended-range version of the truck. Dodge has done away with the slow battery-powered charger.
Filosa said policy changes to reduce incentives for EVs “have given customers back freedom of choice.”
Freedom of choice is a word the brand often uses when discussing recent decisions to emphasize internal combustion engines, such as the return of the HEMI V8 engine and the refresh of the gas-guzzling Ram SRT TRX truck.
In addition to big, powerful V8 engines, Filosa said he believes customers want pure hybrid cars, meaning they have hybrid batteries that are charged by the engine without the need for a plug. The company’s future strategy is to have a healthy mix of hybrids, extended range electric vehicles, EVs, and internal combustion engines (with a renewed focus on internal combustion engines).
“We listen to our consumers. We try to understand what they want in the future. We also know that hybrids are a big trend,” he said.
Liam Rapley is a Stellantis and UAW reporter for the Detroit Free Press. Contact him: LRappleye@freepress.com.
