Things are not going well for Stellantis in North America. Sales of Jeep models are down sharply; plus, with the disappearance of Dodge models, and the shift to electric vehicles still a major gamble for a brand renowned for its V8 engines, the situation at Stellantis is uncertain.

And as for the Ram truck division, the withdrawal of the V8 engine from the 1500 pickup truck is still perplexing, even if the in-line 6-cylinder engine that takes its place, the famous Hurricane, is more powerful, more frugal and very promising.

The group is working hard to bring profitability back to the fore, and in this regard, parent company Stellantis has announced that it is looking to reduce its North American inventories by 100,000 units by the beginning of next year.

Recall that the company already reduced its inventories by around 40,000 units in July and August. Clearly, more needs to be done.

The automaker wants to focus its efforts on one thing in particular, which is “how we put North America in a better, healthier position for 2025,” said Natalie Knight, the company’s CFO, at a virtual conference today (Monday).

Stellantis said earlier this year that the group’s total inventory stood at around 1.4 million units at the end of the first half of 2024, at the same time as its adjusted operating profit was falling by 40 percent due to a poor sales performance in North America, the place where it usually makes the most profit.

A decision had to be made.

It will be interesting to see how the company navigates these troubled waters.

The Dodge Hornet | Photo: Dodge