Since 1978, the date on which Sevel (Società Europea Veicoli Leggeri - European Light Vehicle Company) was established in Atessa (Italy), cooperation between the Fiat Group and the PSA Peugeot Citroën Group has offered a blend of engineering and manufacturing know-how that places it at the cutting edge of European light commercial vehicles.

Work started at the Val di Sangro plant in 1981, when output was 350 vehicles per day. The plant was then extended to cope with the manufacture of more products, until levels reached the current capacity of 900 vehicles per day (including the Ducato for Fiat and the Peugeot Boxer and Citroën Jumper for PSA Peugeot Citroën). This number will rise by more than 10% upon the commercial launch of the new vehicle family. On 15 December 2005, Sevel reached the production target of 3 million vehicles. If all these vehicles were placed end to end, they would form a line 15,000 km long, roughly the distance between Val di Sangro and Sydney, Australia. The co-operative venture between the two Groups has been rewarded with great commercial success in Europe. The venture has consolidated over the years to the extent that it now covers most light commercial vehicle customer requirements.
 

The agreement, extended to 2017 in January 2002, defines the methods of developing and manufacturing two new light commercial vehicle ranges and also the financial and industrial aims of the design project. The rewarding continuation of this venture will allow both partners to share design and investment costs and thus make major economies of scale. The design, known as X250 (the code used to identify the new generations of Fiat Ducato, Peugeot Boxer and Citroën Jumper) will be manufactured in Sevel’s Val di Sangro plant from the second half of the year. A second vehicle, manufactured in the Valenciennes plant in France, will be presented at a later stage.

In March 2005, the two Groups signed an agreement for the development and production of a third vehicle family to accommodate foreseeable growth in the European small vehicle segment. This new minicargo vehicle will be built, under the co-ordination of Tofas in it’s Bursa plant (Turkey), and in close cooperation with both Companies.

Under the terms of the 2002 and 2005 agreements, Fiat and the PSA Peugeot Citroën have agreed to invest some €2.2 bn in total. Nearly 50% of this sum has been earmarked for the Italian plant where annual production is an impressive 230,000 units, a figure which could rise to 260,000 later. In detail, investment in Sevel’s Atessa plant for the development and production of future models – i.e. the new Ducato, Boxer and Jumper vehicles – has amounted to more than €1.1 bn, of which €700 m has been allocated for new product development and the equipment of suppliers. The other €400 m have been allocated for the extension of the panel and assembly shops, the addition of new production machinery, the construction of a new logistics yard and a new water-based paintshop equipped with the most up-to-date technology. Both partners have an equal holding and the plant is managed by Fiat Auto.