Stellantis promises time and cost savings with CustomFit conversions

Stellantis plans to accelerate growth in its in-house factory-fit conversions operation CustomFit, which it introduced in September last year.

Recognising that at least half of the commercial vehicles sold globally have some form of conversion, from chassis cab tippers and dropsides to panel van ply-lining and racking – although that figure rises to 85-90% in the UK – the manufacturer has revealed its strategy for CustomFit, which includes ambitious growth targets and the introduction of a digital ‘pick and mix’ catalogue of customer options.

CustomFit services are available at six Stellantis plants, although only the massive Atessa facility in Italy – the largest van plant in Europe (pictured below) – can build tippers, dropsides and Lutons. All can handle crew cab conversions and more basic ‘personalisations’ such as ply-lining, internal lighting and racking.

This factory-fit service is supported by a global network of 550 certified converter partners, of which 83 are in the UK. They are fully audited prior to appointment and reaudited every four years to ensure quality levels match those at the plant.

Arnaud Leclerc, global head of Stellantis CustomFit, said CustomFit offered fleets lead time and cost savings, with the reassurance of OEM levels of quality.

“Now we are seeing savings of around 18 days on a conversion,” he said. “We think that, for a big fleet, we can save up to eight weeks because of the speed of parts ordering, the van doesn’t have to move location, and they don’t have to wait for space at a fitter.

“The cost of transport alone is more than the cost of the product. Reducing the lead time also means cost savings for the customer.”

In 2024, Stellantis recorded a 25% increase in conversions with certified partners and doubled the number of customised units for large fleets made in-house, with 35% growth in sales of converted vehicles across Europe.

It is now targeting an 11% share of full-scale body conversions this year, up from 8% last year, with a two-year goal of reaching 15%. Of these, around half will be carried out at the plant with the rest at a certified partner.

Its target for personalisations is far more ambitious. This year, around 24% will take place at one of the CustomFit plants, up from 9% last year; within two years, the goal is to hit 40%.

Taking greater control over the conversions market will also bring additional benefits, according to Leclerc.

“We get a lot of specific requests from customers and everything that we create from scratch for one fleet can be a solution for all customers,” he said.

Paolo Accastello, plant manager at Atessa (pictured below), added: “Fleets can also give us fast feedback on any quality issues to we can avoid that for other customers.”

Last year, Stellantis brands Citroen, Fiat, Peugeot and Vauxhall/Opel, plus Ram in America, combined for sales of 1.7 million vans and pick-ups.

In the UK, it sold almost 91,000 vans up to 3.5-tonnes for a market share of just under 26%, slightly behind its European average of 30%, although dominance in France and Italy helped to inflate the figure.

Richard Abbott, head of special vehicle operations, Stellantis UK, said: “We have put in 4,500 orders already this year for personalisation work.”

He expects to launch the digital catalogue in the UK within the next two to three months.

“This means the work can be done at the plant which speeds it up and reduces movements and cost,” Abbott said. “The van can be delivered complete to the converter or direct to the customer.”