The latest buzzword among marketing strategists in the automotive industry is "Customer Journey": And this "journey of the customer" is expected to be shorter, more direct, efficient, qualitative, and perhaps also more cost-effective in the future. And, significantly, much of this should be in the account-based business. Therefore, the commercial division of the group, like some other manufacturers, is bringing expansions and reconstructions more into the factory and back to its roots and is creating a "Customer Fit Center (CFC)" for this purpose. There should be such centers in each of the six plants, in this case without Toyota, but with Vauxhall and RAM, alongside Fiat, Peugeot, Citroen, and Opel. The core plant in southern Italy's Atessa (Sevel Süd) near Chieti is the first, where a whopping 30 percent of the entire large vans field is ordered, including Toyota. "Here we have all the expertise around the vehicle," explains Anne Abboud, Head of the Stellantis Pro One Business Unit, who wants this move to be seen not as an affront or competition but as a deepening of the partnership with the so-called "Converters." Rather, as a "Win-Win-Win" situation, if you will: For the manufacturer (in terms of value creation), for the converter (in terms of scaling, visibility, and network), and for the customer (in terms of complexity and delivery time).
50 percent of the large vans under the six-brand umbrella, which could soon include Toyota and Iveco, are somehow modified and rebuilt for the customer. But instead of shipping the vehicles with costly logistics to local converters, Stellantis is now turning the tables and wants to bring more and more specialized solutions into the plant to have them finally assembled there and then delivered directly. According to Abboud, the vehicle should not be moved beforehand. Orders are to be placed through a single web platform, although local websites are planned for the still very country-specific conversion business. Such a catalog already exists for Germany.
Personalization: When Royal Mail Needs a
Weatherproof Door
In addition to the ex-factory solutions, there are so-called "personalizations" as a second track: A van equipped with an internal sliding door for Amazon was realized in 3,000 units and is expected to cut delivery times by half a minute per stop. An expansion for the British Royal Mail provides ultra-strong holding with magnets on the rear doors, a bright yellow step from Rhino along with adapted parking sensors or grab handles. A van expansion for the French SNCF, alongside the obligatory factory-applied stickers, which is already a trend, realizes ventilation for the wood-paneled cargo area because customers need to work even in the cargo space. In 2024, nine percent of the vehicles were personalized in Atessa; in 2025, it is expected to be 24 percent, and by 2027, as much as 40 percent, all naturally good for the location and the quota of "human" workplaces.
"Free Curbside": Significant Increase in "Conversions"
In the "conversions ex-factory," it's expected to be 8 percent in the current year, rising to 11 and in two years to 15 percent. Already 300 vehicles roll off the line daily at the CFC, a number they aim to double in a year. Thanks also to an extensive conversion offering: From the current 550 certified partners, selected in each country through a strict process, they want to expand the network to 800 partners and offer 8,000 different products "free curbside." Overall, Stellantis recorded a 25% increase in conversions with certified partners in 2024 and doubled the number of custom units for large fleets manufactured in their own plants, with sales of converted vehicles across Europe increasing by 35%.
Low BEV Quote: Let Down by Politics
The first truly "ex-factory" models include classics like dump trucks, crew cab flatbeds, or crew cab vans. However, the flagship model and pioneer of the Custom-Fit strategy is the Cargo Box BEV already shown at the IAA Transportation 2024. Unfortunately, BEVs are a much too rare sight at the plant:
The electric vehicles make up less than four percent of orders, far less than expected and necessary to comply with the EU's medium-term fleet targets and long-term phase-out scenarios. Stellantis feels let down by politics, which, while setting strict guidelines, is currently undermining them with populist escapades and debates—not just in Meloni's Italy, but now reaching as far as Germany. As a result, the "BEV market" just isn't where it should or could be, the group laments.
However, the products are indeed available, as emphasized. And also in specialized solutions and with decent range, in the case of the Box-Ducato over 300 kilometers, more than enough for the intended operational fields. Yet, even large logistics customers always claim that is too little range, although the daily required rounds rarely exceed 100 kilometers. At Stellantis, they don't understand the world anymore, and not just here.
The BEV with the Box: 20 Cubic Meters Under Power
However, the BEV with the Box offers 18.3 m³, complemented by a spacious interior with dimensions of 4,230 mm length, 2,032 mm width, and 2,150 mm height. It is based on the battery-electric chassis-cab version with a maximum torque of 410 Nm and a power output of 200 kW (270 hp), paired with a 110 kWh battery, enabling a range of up to 323 km (according to WLTP*). Even an L4 is available, increasing the load volume to 20.5 m³ with an internal length of 4,500 mm and a height of 2,300 mm. Further ease for the customer: The 22 kW AC charging becomes standard, so even with simpler AC charging technology on-site, a two-shift operation becomes possible. Full recharging happens overnight anyway, completing in just 6 hours, halved compared to the 11 kW standard.
"The introduction of the Cargo Box BEV confirms the successful path of this plant, committed to proactively and quickly meeting the needs of our professional customers, according to the principles of efficiency, maximum quality, and rapid market introduction," promotes Anne Abboud.
Arnaud Leclerc, Global Head of Stellantis CustomFit, adds that the direct production capacities of the plants in the CustomFit area are complemented and expanded by a worldwide network of 550 authorized partners. Moreover, all equipment manufactured by partners is covered by the same two-year warranty as vehicles coming directly from the factory, Leclerc further notes.
Even the Camper Goes Electric: Market Leader Duty
Another traditionally high-interest area is the realization of conversions for the caravan and motorhome sector (RV, Recreational Vehicles), where Stellantis Pro One, especially with the Fiat Ducato as a workhorse, is once again the undisputed market leader. Here too, there will soon be a fully electric version for recreational vehicles. As a market leader, one must push forward here despite the current electric stagnation, says Anne Abboud. At least the offering has to be there, she believes. And a good offer will hopefully generate its own demand once the politicians end their zigzag course and finally set the course clearly on electric. That this is urgently needed is not only evident from the conversions smoldering in the sun of southern Italy at 39 degrees outside the factory.
About the Atessa Plant:
The Sevel plant in Atessa is not only the largest plant in Europe solely producing light commercial vehicles, with over 1,200,000 square meters of space, but also a global standard: 80% of production is for export to 75 countries worldwide. With a 15 km-long assembly line, the largest body shop in the Stellantis Group, and a constantly modernized paint shop that meets the latest energy and environmental compatibility criteria, Atessa can produce more than 1,200 different configurations, from caravans to conversions to goods transport vehicles. With 14 engines, 4 types of transmissions, more than 300 options, and 8 sizes of transporters, the plant constitutes a complete production ecosystem that can offer more than 2,500 different versions. Since 1981, over 7.5 million units have been produced in Atessa, also including the Ducato, which made its debut the
