City cars

BELGRADE - The Fiat plant in Kragujevac, central Serbia, will start producing a new generation of electric vehicles in 2024, the Stellantis Group announced on Wednesday.

Novo Mesto – Revoz, a car manufacture and assembly plant based in Novo Mesto, is suffering from a shortage of electronic parts for its car models. They assessed that two-fifths of this year’s planned production has been lost so far. Adria Mobil, a Novo Mesto-based company that produces caravans and motorhomes, is facing similar problems.

Automobile manufacturer Dacia announced on Wednesday that it ill open, starting with March 20, preorders for its first electric model, which will be sold in Romania with prices between 16,800 and 18,100 Euro. "Starting with March 20, Dacia will open online preorders for its "Comfort Plus" version of its first electric model.

Novo Mesto – The production at Renault-owned assembly plant Revoz, which was suspended this week as a supplier of insulation components had to stop deliveries due to a massive fire, will be relaunched next Wednesday. Components will be delivered from Spain, where Treves managed to transfer a part of its production.

German automaker Volkswagen may decide to produce one of its best-selling models - the Passat in Slovakia instead of Turkey, the automotive news agency reported.

Although the company's executive committee has not yet made the final decision, the Serbian press is busy reporting hat the factory will be built "in Sumadija" - i.e., Serbia's central region.

The model's working mark is "601," according to the paper.

The article added that Alfredo Leggero, head of manufacturing for EMEA region at Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, has already arrived in Serbia, as has Silvia Vernetti, who is in charge of the plant in Kragujevac.

Meanwhile, a deal is expected to be reached with the Serbian partner on Tuesday or Wednesday.

 Germany's BMW AG is talking with other automakers "around the world" to try to find partners to lower the cost of electrifying its future Mini small cars, management board member Peter Schwarzenbauer told Reuters.

When we hear the term "smart city," we tend to think of some sort of place in a science-fiction movie, such as Spike Jonze's "Her." Smart lights, smart parking, smart applications, buses that fly and citizens with a permanent smile on their faces. Something far from the reality we live in today. But we do have technology already available to us today that drastically improves daily city life.

BELGRADE - Silvia Vernetti has been appointed as the new CEO of Fiat Automobiles Serbia (FAS) as of March 1, taking over from Antonio Cesare Ferrara, who is moving to a new position at Magneti Marreli, FAS stated in a release on Wednesday.