A CAR giant is selling off a massive test track located in the middle of the desert – as it fights to save its struggling business.
Automaker Stellantis, one of the world’s biggest maker of cars and owner of brands such as Chrysler, Dodge, and Jeep, as well as European marques like Fiat, Alfa Romeo, and Opel, has seen earnings and sales dip within the last year.
A car giant is selling off a massive test track located in the middle of the desert[/caption]
Stellantis, one of the world’s biggest maker of cars and owner of multiple brands has seen earnings and sales dip[/caption]
One of the many marques it owns is US household name Chrysler[/caption]
The trans-Atlantic company is desperate to cut costs, and it seems one of their options is to sell its enormous Arizona Proving Ground.
Located around 100 miles south of Las Vegas, the massive facility was first owned by Ford back in 1955, before it was purchased by Chrysler in 2007.
Chrysler then became part of Stellantis in 2021 when Fiat Chrysler Automobiles merged with Groupe PSA.
But now, they’re ready to offload the testing track, with CNBC reporting a statement written by the company, which said: “Stellantis continues to look for opportunities to improve efficiency and optimize its footprint to ensure future competitiveness in today’s rapidly changing global market.”
They added that they are “working with the UAW to offer proving ground employees special packages, or they can choose to follow their work in a transfer of operations.”
It goes on to say that the 41 members of staff employed at the facility could be placed on an “indefinite layoff, which would entitle them to pay and benefits for two years.”
Since its inception, the site has been used for hot weather testing for automobiles.
The facility features around 70 miles of track, which includes a high-speed oval, various shorter handling tracks, and off-road testing grounds.
CNBC say that the Arizona complex is one of 18 facilities that Stellantis notified the UAW that it could potentially close during their contract negotiations last year.
Naturally, Stellantis, like other automakers, own several proving grounds across different climates and terrains to test their vehicles.
Their other major proving ground facility in the US is a 4,000-acre campus located west of Detroit in Chelsea, Michigan.
This comes just weeks after Chrysler were forced to recall 129,000 of its vehicles over a dangerous issue that could lead to crashes.
Drivers have been asked to book an urgent repair after the brand identified a malfunction with a vital piece of tech.
Also, Stellantis recently paused production of one of its EV models due to the vehicle’s poor sales.
The weak sales come as Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares said earlier this year that lowered prices and slowed productions from EV makers risked an industry “bloodbath”.
The facility has 41 employees[/caption]
Stellantis also owns the likes of Dodge and Jeep, as well as several European brands like Fiat and Alfa Romeo[/caption]
