Stellantis hedges bets on new ‘multi energy’ STLA Small platform with EV or hybrid power

Stellantis, the conglomerate behind Vauxhall, Peugeot, Citroen, Fiat and a whole host of other brands, says its new STLA Small platform could be seen underpinning cars by next year – providing fresh competition to supermini-sized EVs. 

In a press conference announcing the latest details on STLA Frame – the company’s upcoming platform for large SUVs and commercial vehicles – Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares claimed STLA Small was still “on track” for a late 2025 or early 2026 launch. 

However, he also said that in the wider automotive industry, “the shift to electrification hasn’t been as fast as many predicted”. In order to counter this, Stellantis would develop “multi-energy to stay flexible”, and this ability will be seen on upcoming STLA Small cars. 

Auto Express exclusively revealed back in August that the next-generation Peugeot 208 would utilise the STLA Small platform. It will initially launch with pure-electric power, but there is the possibility of expanding the line-up with hybrid powertrains in the future. Details on hybrid-powered STLA Small vehicles remain slim, however we expect they will use mild-hybrid tech; plug-in hybrid power will be reserved for models on the STLA Medium and Large platforms. 

The next-generation e-208 is expected to be the first car on STLA Small, and the new platform will help Peugeot position its supermini as a more premium offering in its class. Vauxhall and DS will do the same in the future with the next Corsa and DS3 respectively, setting these three models apart from the latest Citroen C3 and forthcoming Fiat Grande Panda. Both of these use Stellantis’ more budget-driven Smart Car architecture. 

STLA Small is based on a 400V architecture and will be able to accommodate battery sizes of 37kWh to 82kWh, feeding electric motors with outputs of 93bhp upwards. Stellantis says production of the new batteries should decrease by 20 per cent compared with its current small EVs. 

STLA Small will replace the e-CMP platform currently used by the Peugeot e-208, Vauxhall Corsa Electric and Mokka Electric, and will be able to offer over 300 miles of range. In comparison, today’s e-208 tops out at 248 miles of range.

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