Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa Visits Brazil Plant, Signals Continued Investment
Porto Real, Brazil – May 28, 2025
Antonio Filosa, the newly appointed CEO of Stellantis, visited the company’s Porto Real plant in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Tuesday, reinforcing the automaker’s commitment to sustainable mobility and regional growth. The visit, part of a series of engagements in Brazil, highlighted Stellantis’ strategic focus on expanding its bio-hybrid and electric vehicle production, with Filosa emphasizing the importance of Brazil as a key market for the global automaker.
Filosa, who assumed the role of CEO on May 28, 2025, succeeding Carlos Tavares, has deep ties to Brazil, having served as plant manager of Stellantis’ Betim facility and Chief Operating Officer for South America from 2021 to 2023. During his visit to Porto Real, he met with local employees and showcased the recently launched Citroën C3 Aircross, a seven-seat SUV set to be produced at the facility. The visit reaffirmed a $508 million investment cycle through 2025, announced in 2023, to develop new models and advance bio-hybrid ethanol technology, aligning with Stellantis’ Dare Forward 2030 plan to decarbonize by 2038.
“Brazil is a cornerstone of our global strategy,” Filosa said, praising the Porto Real plant’s role in producing sustainable vehicles tailored to local resources like ethanol. He highlighted the bio-hybrid powertrain, developed in Brazil, which combines flexible thermal energy with electrification and is compatible with Stellantis’ three plants in Betim, Porto Real, and Goiana. “This technology is a game-changer for accessible, low-emission mobility,” he added, noting its potential to strengthen Brazil’s auto parts industry and boost exports across Latin America.
The visit follows Filosa’s earlier trip to the Betim Automotive Complex in Minas Gerais, where he supported Chairman John Elkann’s opening of TechMobility, a new initiative to advance automotive innovation. Posts on X reflected positive sentiment, with @toniobernardini, a former ambassador, calling Filosa “a great manager” and @sergiooliveiram noting his success in making Brazil Jeep’s largest market outside the U.S.
Filosa’s leadership comes at a critical time as Stellantis navigates challenges like U.S. tariff policies and a 9.6% sales drop in Europe through April 2025. His visit underscored Brazil’s role in countering these pressures, with plans to expand the supplier park around the Goiana plant from 38 to 50 companies and introduce electrified models by 2026. As Filosa prepares to assume full CEO powers on June 23, his focus on Brazil signals a strategic pivot to leverage the region’s innovation and market potential to bolster Stellantis’ global standing.