Kommor said the conference also touched on its ongoing efforts to increase the exclusivity of the Jeep brand. Many Stellantis dealers are adding separate Jeep showrooms and independent Jeep stores.
“We have a lot of dealers and we have hundreds of dealers already completed. Not only are we making investments, we are getting even more profitability and sales,” Kommor said. “We would like to explore further investments in these Jeep stand-alone facilities and eventually share them with the group as we begin to bring more Wagoneer products into our portfolio.”
He said the latest of these new offerings, the longer-wheelbase ‘L’ model, went into production last week.
Many of the questions asked at the manufacturing conference were about EVs, Kommor said, noting that 86% of dealers had signed a framework agreement for electrification. Stellantis has no plans to disclose specific amounts that dealers will need to invest, as GM and Ford Motor Co. have done. Costs vary by store.
“Dealers know what they need to do for the transition,” says Kommor. “Electrification is coming. No need to tell them what they have to use.”