AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — Chrysler Group has announced that Fiat’s ownership interest in the company has increased from 20 percent to 25 percent, after Chrysler achieved the first of three performance-related milestones.
As outlined in its June 2009 operating agreement, Chrysler Group issued an irrevocable commitment letter to the U.S. Treasury stating that the company has received the appropriate governmental approvals and will begin commercial production of the Fully Integrated Robotized Engine (FIRE) in its Dundee, Mich., facility. As a result, Fiat’s ownership interest increased automatically under the terms of the agreement. The first North American application of the 1.4-liter FIRE engine with MultiAir Technology will be used in the new Fiat 500, which Chrysler Group plans to distribute soon through newly appointed dealers.
The ownership interests of Chrysler Group’s members are now: UAW VEBA – 63.5 percent; Fiat – 25.0 percent; U.S. Treasury – 9.2 percent; and Canadian Governments - 2.3 percent.
Fiat has the opportunity to further increase its ownership in Chrysler to 35 percent, in 5 percent increments, through two additional performance-related milestones. The first milestone relates to revenue and sales growth outside of the NAFTA region. The second milestone relates to commercial production in the United States of a 40-mile-per-gallon vehicle based on Fiat platform technology.