Chief Executive Officer, Stellantis N.V. (formerly PSA Peugeot Citroën)
Jeep CEO Antonio Filosa Celebrates the All-Electric Jeep Wagoneer S.
All right I am joined now with Jeep CEO Antonio fosa good morning good morning thank you for having me absolutely you just I ...
About Antonio Filosa
In May 2024, Jeep CEO Antonio Filosa introduced the all-electric Jeep Wagoneer S, describing it as the first Jeep battery electric vehicle designed, engineered, and built in North America for the global market. Filosa stated that the vehicle is built on the Stellantis large platform, accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in 3.4 seconds, and produces 600 horsepower. He noted that the Wagoneer S is priced at $71,000 and that pre-orders opened on the same day. Filosa credited a young, diverse team of Millennials for the vehicle's development over three years and emphasized that 95% of Jeep's dealer network is already equipped with charging infrastructure. Filosa's earlier career, as described in a 2015 profile, included roles in industrial engineering, purchasing, and logistics within the Fiat group, with assignments in Italy, Spain, the United States, and Brazil. He attributed his professional development to seeking cross-functional opportunities and highlighted the motivation and energy of the workforce at Fiat's Brazilian operations.
Transcript (20 segments)
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Interviewer0:00
All right, I am joined now with Jeep CEO Antonio Filosa. Good morning.
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Antonio Filosa0:02
Good morning. Thank you for having me.
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Interviewer0:05
Absolutely. We are standing in front of the Jeep Wagoneer S. Oh my gosh, this is incredible. Tell me about what sets it apart from anything else that's out there right now.
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Antonio Filosa0:16
This is the first Jeep BEV vehicle designed, engineered, and built in North America for the world. It comes on our very versatile Stellantis large platform. It's the fastest Jeep ever—it goes from 0 to 60 mph in 3.4 seconds. It's got 600 horsepower of pure power, 611 pound-feet of torque, 45 inches of usable display into the interior, speaking about technology, and it's got the typical Jeep capability, the all-terrain select and all-wheel drive. So a lot of technology, a lot of capability, a very sleek design. We believe we are ready for the market.
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Interviewer1:04
You say that it's a lot of technology, a lot of capability, but it's also a lot of innovation, right? Talk to me about the vision, talk to me about the early stages when you were having those conversations with your team about the product development of something so innovative such as this.
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Antonio Filosa1:19
The narrative of this product development was to surpass ourselves. We felt the need to launch into the market the best Jeep ever in the BEV space. We thought a lot about what innovation to put into it. Imagine about 45 inches of usable screens inside, and by the way, the screens are hidden by a glass surface—so when you need to use those, they are visible, and when they're turned off, they are invisible. Much more elegant. We thought about aerodynamics, so it's an SUV, the stance is an SUV, but you will find a lot of details of aerodynamics that help the range. This car has a range of 300-plus miles—that means the best-in-class range of the segment. A lot of best things.
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Interviewer2:10
Why don't we stand right over here so we can get a better shot of the model? Antonio, why don't you come over here. Talk to me about what sets Jeep apart from all of its competitors. What is so unique about Jeep and the brand and the legacy that it's building?
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Antonio Filosa2:27
We have been around 83 years so far. Maybe you remember that in a few days we will celebrate globally the D-Day—that was the day when the brave men and women of the US Army freed Europe in the Second World War, and they used Jeep to free Europe. Freedom has been embraced by Jeep as the first original value, together with adventure, authenticity, and passion. Another thing: it has already been 20 years in a row that a very recognized American survey, with many American men and women voting, selects Jeep as the most patriotic brand overall. We are more patriotic than, for instance, Disney in that survey, McDonald's in that survey. We are seen as the American icon for the world, and no better place to unveil this new model than here at the New York Stock Exchange, the backbone of global financial markets.
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Interviewer3:23
Tell me about that—being up there on that bell podium, opening up the US equity markets, highlighting this story that you just shared with our viewers.
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Antonio Filosa3:33
Big emotion for me. My family was there, so the double of emotion. Most of all, the team was there, because it comes after three years of a lot of effort and a lot of hard work—many Saturdays, many Sundays worked from the team. So they deserve more than me. There is my name, but actually it's the name of many, many people that should be put in there.
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Interviewer3:54
Can you talk to me about that? It takes a hugely committed team to get to where you are today, to this pivotal moment. Talk to me about all that hard work, effort, and energy, the commitment from your team to get to this place today.
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Antonio Filosa4:05
It's an interesting question. First of all, the team that worked on this project are basically all millennials—very young people, because it's a car for the future, right? It's a battery electric vehicle, so obviously it envisions the future. Second, it's the most diverse team that has ever worked on a car in our company. And it's three years of very hard work—it's many, many departments of the company to be integrated: manufacturing, product development, engineering, design, and obviously the brand. So a lot of work, a lot of hours, three years nonstop. And we are just at the first step, because on the same platform, this is the first vehicle, then three months from here the second, the Jeep Recon, and then six months later the third, that is our mainstream SUV coming back to the market.
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Interviewer4:54
What are your key priorities for the rest of 2024 from a business standpoint?
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Antonio Filosa4:59
Sell. We need to sell a lot of this one, and our dealers are very engaged. I met our dealers here in New York, like 30 of them, in an event that we held for them. They saw the car for the first time, they knew the price, which is very competitive, because this is a very fully loaded, lot-of-value car that we will market at $71,000. So lot of value for a very competitive price. By the way, the pre-orders are open today. You go to jeep.com and you can pre-order with four clicks only—your car, you choose the car, the interiors, the exterior color, and the dealer, and you got also a gift. Four clicks in a matter of minutes, jeep.com. And then the four clicks, right? So please go there. The priority is to sell, and most of all, the priority is to deliver to the market what many consumers of ours and of the world now are requesting: technology, electric cars, and Jeep.
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Interviewer5:57
Let's talk about that—what consumers are asking for. How do you balance all of that? What the consumer demand is, but also the first-in-class technology, the innovative ideas? How do you bridge all of these things together?
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Antonio Filosa6:07
We do a lot of market research. We know that out there, in the second half of this year, we will have around 2.2 million Americans and North Americans, Canadians also, that are looking for an EV. They are very intender of Jeep, and they have specific demographics that we already mapped and specific interests. Among the interests, they love adventure—it's all about what Jeep is about. They love the outdoors, they love traveling, and a lot of sophistication. This car is very sophisticated. You will see inside if you have the opportunity—the selection of materials, the perception of craftsmanship, the textures are very well done, and also all the information on the car, they are elegant, they are not invasive into the eyes of the consumer. So a lot of market research and a lot of work.
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Interviewer7:04
Are there plans to do anything when it comes to the infrastructure aspect of things, for cities or states that don't necessarily have the EV infrastructure—charging stations, things like that? I know that Jeep may have some plans, correct?
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Antonio Filosa7:16
We're working with the states, obviously. Most of all, we are working with our dealers, because the first thing to have is dealers that have the infrastructure. I need to thank them as the partner, the good partner that they are, because 95% of the dealer network is already ready. Specifically in this city—this city and the entire business center of the Northeast is the biggest Jeep market in the planet. So here they know how to sell Jeep, and they will sell those cars as well.
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Interviewer7:42
Incredible. Antonio, thank you so much. Thank you.
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Antonio Filosa7:44
Thank you very much. It was a pleasure. It was great having you here. Me too.