20-F 1 fca2014123120f.htm FCA NV 20-F FCA 2014.12.31 20F
 
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
 
FORM 20-F
 
o
REGISTRATION STATEMENT PURSUANT TO SECTIONS 12(b) OR 12(g) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
OR
þ
ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2014
OR
o
TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
OR
o
SHELL COMPANY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
Commission File Number 001-36085
 
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V.
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)
 
The Netherlands
(Jurisdiction of Incorporation or Organization)
 
25 St. James' Street
London SW1A 1HA
United Kingdom
Tel. No.: +44 (0) 20 7766 0311
(Address, Including Zip Code, and Telephone Number, Including Area Code, of Registrant’s Principal Executive Offices)
 
Richard K. Palmer
25 St. James' Street
London SW1A 1HA
United Kingdom
Tel. No.: +44 (0) 20 7766 0311
(Name, Address, Including Zip Code, and Telephone Number, Including Area Code, of Company Contact Person)
 
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of Each Class
 
Name of Each Exchange on which Registered
Common Shares, par value €0.01
 
New York Stock Exchange
Mandatory Convertible Securities due 2016
 
New York Stock Exchange
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None
Securities for which there is a reporting obligation pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Act: None
Indicate the number of outstanding shares of each of the issuer’s classes of capital or common stock as of the close of the period covered by the annual report: 1,284,919,505 common shares, par value €0.01 per share, and 408,941,767 special voting shares, par value €0.01 per share.
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes o No þ
If this report is an annual or transition report, indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Act of 1934. Yes o No þ
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant: (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes þ No o
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files). N/A
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, or a non-accelerated filer. See definition of “accelerated filer and large accelerated filer” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):
Large accelerated filer o
 
Accelerated filer o
 
Non-accelerated filer þ
Indicate by check mark which basis of accounting the registrant has used to prepare the financial statements included in this filing:
U.S. GAAP o International Financial Reporting Standards as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board þ Other o
If “Other” has been checked in response to the previous question indicate by check mark which financial statement item the registrant has elected to follow: Item 17 o or Item 18 o.
If this is an annual report, indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).
Yes o No þ
(APPLICABLE ONLY TO ISSUERS INVOLVED IN BANKRUPTCY PROCEEDINGS DURING THE PAST FIVE YEARS)
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed all documents and reports required to be filed by Sections 12, 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 subsequent to the distribution of securities under a plan confirmed by a court. Yes o No o




TABLE OF CONTENTS
 
Page
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Item 1.
Item 2.
Item 3.
A.
B.
C.
D.
Item 4.
A.
B.
C.
D.
Item 4A.
Item 5.
 
 
 
 
 
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.
Item 6.
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Item 7.
A.
B.
C.
 
 
 
 
 
 

i


 
Page
 
 
Item 8.
A.
B.
Item 9.
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
Item 10.
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.
H.
I.
Item 11.
Item 12.
A.
B.
C.
D.
 
 
 
 
 
 
Item 13.
Item 14.
Item 15.
Item 16A.
Item 16B.
Item 16C.
Item 16D.
Item 16E.
Item 16F.
Item 16G.
Item 16H.
Item 17.
Item 18.
Item 19.
 
 

ii


Certain Defined Terms
In this report, unless otherwise specified, the terms “we,” “our,” “us,” the “Group,”, “Fiat Group,”, the “Company” and “FCA” refer to Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V., together with its subsidiaries and its predecessor prior to the completion of the merger of Fiat S.p.A. with and into Fiat Investments N.V. on October 12, 2014 (at which time Fiat Investments N.V. was renamed Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V. , or FCA), the “Merger”, or any one or more of them, as the context may require. References to “Fiat” refer solely to Fiat S.p.A., the predecessor of FCA prior to the Merger. References to "FCA US" refers to FCA US LLC, formerly known as Chrysler Group LLC, together with its direct and indirect subsidiaries.
See “Presentation of Financial and Other Data” below for additional information regarding the financial presentation.
Presentation of Financial and Other Data
This document includes the consolidated financial statements of the Group for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards, or IFRS, as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board, or IASB, which reflect the retrospective application of the amendments to International Accounting Standards, or IAS, IAS 19 – Employee Benefits, or IAS 19 revised, and IAS 1 – Presentation of Financial Statements and IFRS 11 – Joint Arrangements, or IFRS 11, which became effective from January 1, 2013.
We refer to the consolidated financial statements collectively as the “Consolidated financial statements.”
The Group’s financial information is presented in Euro except that, in some instances, information in U.S. Dollars is provided in the Consolidated financial statements and information included elsewhere in this document. All references in this document to “Euro” and “€” refer to the currency introduced at the start of the third stage of European Economic and Monetary Union pursuant to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, as amended, and all references to “U.S. Dollars,” "U.S. Dollar", “U.S.$” and “$” refer to the currency of the United States of America (or "U.S.").
The language of the document is English. Certain legislative references and technical terms have been cited in their original language in order that the correct technical meaning may be ascribed to them under applicable law.
Certain totals in the tables included in this document may not add due to rounding.
Forward-Looking Statements
Statements contained in this document, particularly those regarding possible or assumed future performance, competitive strengths, costs, dividends, reserves and growth of FCA, industry growth and other trends and projections and estimated company earnings are “forward-looking statements” that contain risks and uncertainties. In some cases, words such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “could,” “should,” “intend,” “estimate,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “outlook,” “continue,” “remain,” “on track,” “target,” “objective,” “goal,” “plan” and similar expressions are used to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements reflect the respective current views of the Group with respect to future events and involve significant risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially. These factors include, without limitation:
•
our ability to reach certain minimum vehicle sales volumes;
•
changes in the general economic environment and changes in demand for automotive products, which is subject to cyclicality, in particular;
•
our ability to enrich our product portfolio and offer innovative products;
•
the high level of competition in the automotive industry;
•
our ability to expand certain of our brands internationally;
•
changes in our credit ratings;

iii


•
our ability to realize anticipated benefits from any acquisitions, joint venture arrangements and other strategic alliances;
•
our ability to integrate the Group’s operations;
•
exposure to shortfalls in the Group’s defined benefit pension plans, particularly those of FCA US;
•
our ability to provide or arrange for adequate access to financing for our dealers and retail customers, and associated risks associated with financial services companies;
•
our ability to access funding to execute our business plan and improve our business, financial condition and results of operations;
•
various types of claims, lawsuits and other contingent obligations against us, including product liability, warranty and environmental claims and lawsuits;
•
disruptions arising from political, social and economic instability;
•
material operating expenditures in relation to compliance with environmental, health and safety regulations;
•
our timely development of hybrid propulsion and alternative fuel vehicles and other new technologies to enable compliance with increasingly stringent fuel economy and emission standards in each area in which we operate;
•
developments in our labor and industrial relations and developments in applicable labor laws;
•
risks associated with our relationships with employees and suppliers;
•
increases in costs, disruptions of supply or shortages of raw materials;
•
exchange rate fluctuations, interest rate changes, credit risk and other market risks;
•
our ability to achieve some or all of the financial and other benefits we expect will result from the separation of Ferrari; and
•
other factors discussed elsewhere in this document.
Furthermore, in light of ongoing difficult macroeconomic conditions, both globally and in the industries in which we operate, it is particularly difficult to forecast results, and any estimates or forecasts of particular periods that are provided in this report are uncertain. We expressly disclaim and do not assume any liability in connection with any inaccuracies in any of the forward-looking statements in this document or in connection with any use by any third party of such forward-looking statements. Actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements. We do not undertake an obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements.
Additional factors which could cause actual results and developments to differ from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements are included in the section “Risk Factors” of this report.

iv


PART I
Item 1. Identity of Directors, Senior Management and Advisers
Not applicable.
Item 2. Offer Statistics and Expected Time Table
Not Applicable.
Item 3. Key Information
A. Selected Financial Data
The following tables set forth selected historical consolidated financial and other data of FCA and has been derived, in part, from:
•
the Consolidated financial statements of FCA for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, included elsewhere in this document; and
•
the Consolidated financial statements of the Fiat Group for the years ended December 31, 2011 and 2010, which are not included in this document.
This data should be read in conjunction with “Presentation of Financial and Other Data,” Item 3D. Risk Factors, Item 5. Operating and Financial Review and the Consolidated financial statements and related notes included elsewhere in this report.
Effective January 1, 2011, Fiat transferred a portion of its assets and liabilities to Fiat Industrial S.p.A., or Fiat Industrial, now known as CNH Industrial N.V., or CNH Industrial, or CNHI, in the form of a scissione parziale proporzionale ("partial proportionate demerger") in accordance with Article 2506 of the Italian Civil Code.
On May 24, 2011, the Group acquired an additional 16 percent (on a fully-diluted basis) of FCA US, increasing its interest to 46 percent (on a fully-diluted basis). As a result of the potential voting rights associated with options that became exercisable on that date, the Group was deemed to have obtained control of FCA US for purposes of consolidation. The operating activities from this acquisition date through May 31, 2011 were not material to the Group. As such, FCA US was consolidated on a line-by-line basis by FCA with effect from June 1, 2011. Therefore the results of operations and cash flows for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 are not directly comparable with those for the year ended December 31, 2011.
The retrospective application of the amendments to IAS 19 revised and IFRS 11, which were adopted by the Group from January 1, 2013, were not applied to the Consolidated income statement, Consolidated statement of comprehensive income/(loss), Consolidated statement of cash flows and Consolidated statement of changes in equity for the years ended December 31, 2011 and 2010. Accordingly, the statements for the years ended December 31, 2011 and 2010 are not directly comparable with those for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013, and 2012.

1


Consolidated Income Statement Data
 
2014
 
2013
 
2012
 
2011 (1)
 
2010 (2)
 
(€ million)
Net revenues
96,090

 
86,624

 
83,765

 
59,559

 
35,880

EBIT
3,223

 
3,002

 
3,434

 
3,291

 
1,106

Profit before taxes
1,176

 
1,015

 
1,524

 
1,932

 
706

Profit from continuing operations
632

 
1,951

 
896

 
1,398

 
222

Profit/(loss) from discontinued operations
—

 
—

 
—

 
—

 
378

Net profit
632

 
1,951

 
896

 
1,398

 
600

Attributable to:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Owners of the parent
568

 
904

 
44

 
1,199

 
520

Non-controlling interest
64

 
1,047

 
852

 
199

 
80

Earnings/(loss) per share from continuing operations (in Euro)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Basic per ordinary share
0.465

 
0.744

 
0.036

 
0.962

 
0.130

Diluted per ordinary share
0.460

 
0.736

 
0.036

 
0.955

 
0.130

Basic per preference share
—

 
—

 
—

 
0.962

 
0.217

Diluted per preference share
—

 
—

 
—

 
0.955

 
0.217

Basic per savings share
—

 
—

 
—

 
1.071

 
0.239

Diluted per savings share
—

 
—

 
—

 
1.063

 
0.238

Earnings/(loss) per share (in Euro)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Basic per ordinary share
0.465

 
0.744

 
0.036

 
0.962

 
0.410

Diluted per ordinary share
0.460

 
0.736

 
0.036

 
0.955

 
0.409

Basic per preference share
—

 
—

 
—

 
0.962

 
0.410

Diluted per preference share
—

 
—

 
—

 
0.955

 
0.409

Basic per savings share
—

 
—

 
—

 
1.071

 
0.565

Diluted per savings share
—

 
—

 
—

 
1.063

 
0.564

Dividends paid per share (in Euro)(3)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Ordinary share
—

 
—

 
—

 
0.090

 
0.170

Preference share(4)   
—

 
—

 
0.217

 
0.310

 
0.310

Savings share(4)   
—

 
—

 
0.217

 
0.310

 
0.325

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Other Statistical Information (unaudited):
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Shipments (in thousands of units)
4,608

 
4,352

 
4,223

 
3,175

 
2,094

Number of employees at period end
232,165

 
229,053

 
218,311

 
197,021

 
137,801

 
(1)
Upon obtaining control of FCA US on May 24, 2011, FCA US’s financial results were consolidated beginning June 1, 2011.
(2)
CNHI was reported as discontinued operations in 2010 as a result of its demerger from Fiat effective January 1, 2011.
(3)
Dividends paid represent cash payments in the applicable year that generally relates to earnings of the previous year.
(4)
In accordance with the resolution adopted by the shareholders’ meeting on April 4, 2012, Fiat’s preference and savings shares were mandatorily converted into ordinary shares.

2


Consolidated Statement of Financial Position Data
 
At December 31,
 
2014
 
2013
 
2012
 
2011(1)(2)
 
2010
 
(€ million)
Cash and cash equivalents
22,840

 
19,455

 
17,666

 
17,526

 
11,967

Total assets
100,510

 
87,214

 
82,633

 
80,379

 
73,442

Debt
33,724

 
30,283

 
28,303

 
27,093

 
20,804

Total equity
13,738

 
12,584

 
8,369

 
9,711

 
12,461

Equity attributable to owners of the parent
13,425

 
8,326

 
6,187

 
7,358

 
11,544

Non-controlling interests
313

 
4,258

 
2,182

 
2,353

 
917

Share capital
17

 
4,477

 
4,476

 
4,466

 
6,377

Shares issued (in thousands of shares):
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Fiat S.p.A
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Ordinary
—

 
1,250,688

 
1,250,403

 
1,092,681

 
1,092,247

Preference(4)   
—

 
—

 
—

 
103,292

 
103,292

Savings(4)   
—

 
—

 
—

 
79,913

 
79,913

FCA
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Common(3)
1,284,919

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Special Voting
408,942

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
(1)    The amounts at December 31, 2011 are equivalent to those at January 1, 2012 derived from the Consolidated financial statements.
(2)    The amounts at December 31, 2011 include the consolidation of FCA US.
(3)    Book value per common share at December 31, 2014 amounted to €10.45.
(4)
In accordance with the resolution adopted by the shareholders’ meeting on April 4, 2012, Fiat’s preference and savings shares were mandatorily converted into ordinary shares.

3



Exchange rates
These exchange rates are included for informational purposes only and may differ from the exchange rates used in preparation of the Consolidated financial statements prepared in accordance with IFRS. For a description of the exchange rates used in the preparation of our Consolidated financial statements, please refer to section Significant Accounting Policies of our Consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this report.
The table below shows the high, low, average and period end noon buying rates in The City of New York for cable transfers in foreign currencies as certified for customs purposes by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York for U.S.$ per €1.00. The average is computed using the noon buying rate on the last business day of each month during the period indicated.
Period 
 
Low  
 
High 
 
Average  
 
Period End  
Year ended December 31, 2010
 
1.1959
 
1.4536
 
1.3262
 
1.3269
Year ended December 31, 2011
 
1.2926
 
1.4875
 
1.3931
 
1.2973
Year ended December 31, 2012
 
1.2062
 
1.3463
 
1.2859
 
1.3186
Year ended December 31, 2013
 
1.2774
 
1.3816
 
1.3281
 
1.3779
Year ended December 31, 2014
 
1.2101
 
1.3927
 
1.3210
 
1.2101
The table below shows the high and low noon buying rates for Euro for each month during the six months prior to the date of this report.
Period 
 
Low  
 
High  
July 2014
 
1.3378
 
1.3681
August 2014
 
1.3150
 
1.3436
September 2014
 
1.2628
 
1.3136
October 2014
 
1.2517
 
1.2812
November 2014
 
1.2394
 
1.2554
December 2014
 
1.2101
 
1.2504
On February 27, 2015, the noon buying rate for U.S. dollars was €1.00 = U.S.$1.1197.


4


B. Capitalization and Indebtedness
Not applicable.
C. Reason for the Offer and Use of Proceeds
Not applicable.
D. Risk Factors
We face a variety of risks in our business. The risks and uncertainties described below are not the only ones facing us. Additional risks and uncertainties that we are unaware of or that we currently believe to be immaterial, may also become important factors that affect us.
Risks Related to Our Business, Strategy and Operations
Our profitability depends on reaching certain minimum vehicle sales volumes. If our vehicle sales deteriorate, particularly sales of our minivans, larger utility vehicles and pick-up trucks, our results of operations and financial condition will suffer.
Our success requires us to achieve certain minimum vehicle sales volumes. As is typical for an automotive manufacturer, we have significant fixed costs and, therefore, changes in vehicle sales volume can have a disproportionately large effect on our profitability. For example, assuming constant pricing, mix and cost of sales per vehicle, that all results of operations were attributable to vehicle shipments and that all other variables remain constant, a ten percent decrease in our 2014 vehicle shipments would reduce our Earnings Before Interest and Taxes, or EBIT, by approximately 40 percent for 2014, without accounting for actions and cost containment measures we may take in response to decreased vehicle sales.
Further, a shift in demand away from our minivans, larger utility vehicles and pick-up trucks in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and Caribbean islands, or NAFTA, region towards passenger cars, whether in response to higher fuel prices or other factors, could adversely affect our profitability in the NAFTA region. Our minivans, larger utility vehicles and pick-up trucks accounted for approximately 44 percent of our total U.S. retail vehicle sales in 2014 (not including vans and medium duty trucks) and the profitability of this portion of our portfolio is approximately 33 percent higher than that of our overall U.S. retail portfolio on a weighted average basis. A shift in demand such that U.S. industry market share for minivans, larger utility vehicles and pick-up trucks deteriorated by 10 percentage points and U.S. industry market share for cars and smaller utility vehicles increased by 10 percentage points, whether in response to higher fuel prices or other factors, holding other variables constant, including our market share of each vehicle segment, would have reduced the Group’s EBIT by approximately 4 percent for 2014. This estimate does not take into account any other changes in market conditions or actions that the Group may take in response to shifting consumer preferences, including production and pricing changes. For additional information on factors affecting vehicle profitability, see Item 5. Operating and Financial Review—Trends, Uncertainties and Opportunities.
Moreover, we tend to operate with negative working capital as we generally receive payments from vehicle sales to dealers within a few days of shipment, whereas there is a lag between the time when parts and materials are received from suppliers and when we pay for such parts and materials; therefore, if vehicle sales decline we will suffer a significant negative impact on cash flow and liquidity as we continue to pay suppliers during a period in which we receive reduced proceeds from vehicle sales. If vehicle sales do not increase, or if they were to fall short of our assumptions, due to financial crisis, renewed recessionary conditions, changes in consumer confidence, geopolitical events, inability to produce sufficient quantities of certain vehicles, limited access to financing or other factors, our financial condition and results of operations would be materially adversely affected.
Our businesses are affected by global financial markets and general economic and other conditions over which we have little or no control.
Our results of operations and financial position may be influenced by various macroeconomic factors—including changes in gross domestic product, the level of consumer and business confidence, changes in interest rates for or availability of consumer and business credit, energy prices, the cost of commodities or other raw materials, the rate of unemployment and foreign currency exchange rates—within the various countries in which we operate.

5


Beginning in 2008, global financial markets have experienced severe disruptions, resulting in a material deterioration of the global economy. The global economic recession in 2008 and 2009, which affected most regions and business sectors, resulted in a sharp decline in demand for automobiles. Although more recently we have seen signs of recovery in certain regions, the overall global economic outlook remains uncertain.
In Europe, in particular, despite measures taken by several governments and monetary authorities to provide financial assistance to certain Eurozone countries and to avoid default on sovereign debt obligations, concerns persist regarding the debt burden of several countries. These concerns, along with the significant fiscal adjustments carried out in several countries, intended to manage actual or perceived sovereign credit risk, led to further pressure on economic growth and to new periods of recession. Prior to a slight improvement in 2014, European automotive industry sales declined over several years following a period in which sales were supported by government incentive schemes, particularly those designed to promote sales of more fuel efficient and low emission vehicles. Prior to the global financial crisis, industry-wide sales of passenger cars in Europe were 16 million units in 2007. In 2014, following six years of sales declines, sales in that region rose 5 percent over 2013 to 13 million passenger cars. From 2011 to 2014, our market share of the European passenger car market decreased from 7.0 percent to 5.8 percent, and we have reported losses and negative EBIT in each of the past four years in the Europe, Middle East and Africa, or EMEA, segment. See Item 4B. Business Overview—Overview of Our Business for a description of our reportable segments. These ongoing concerns could have a detrimental impact on the global economic recovery, as well as on the financial condition of European financial institutions, which could result in greater volatility, reduced liquidity, widening of credit spreads and lack of price transparency in credit markets. Widespread austerity measures in many countries in which we operate could continue to adversely affect consumer confidence, purchasing power and spending, which could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.
A majority of our revenues have been generated in the NAFTA segment, as vehicle sales in North America have experienced significant growth from the low vehicle sales volumes in 2009-2010. However, this recovery may not be sustained or may be limited to certain classes of vehicles. Since the recovery may be partially attributable to the pent-up demand and average age of vehicles in North America following the extended economic downturn, there can be no assurances that continued improvements in general economic conditions or employment levels will lead to additional increases in vehicle sales. As a result, North America may experience limited growth or decline in vehicle sales in the future.
In addition, slower expansion or recessionary conditions are being experienced in major emerging countries, such as China, Brazil and India. In addition to weaker export business, lower domestic demand has also led to a slowing economy in these countries. These factors could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.
In general, the automotive sector has historically been subject to highly cyclical demand and tends to reflect the overall performance of the economy, often amplifying the effects of economic trends. Given the difficulty in predicting the magnitude and duration of economic cycles, there can be no assurances as to future trends in the demand for products sold by us in any of the markets in which we operate.
In addition to slow economic growth or recession, other economic circumstances—such as increases in energy prices and fluctuations in prices of raw materials or contractions in infrastructure spending—could have negative consequences for the industry in which we operate and, together with the other factors referred to previously, could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
We may be unsuccessful in efforts to expand the international reach of some of our brands that we believe have global appeal and reach.
The growth strategies reflected in our 2014-2018 Strategic Business Plan, or Business Plan, will require us to make significant investments, including to expand several brands that we believe to have global appeal into new markets. Such strategies include expanding sales of the Jeep brand globally, most notably through localized production in Asia and Latin America and reintroduction of the Alfa Romeo brand in North America and other markets throughout the world. Our plans also include a significant expansion of our Maserati brand vehicles to cover all segments of the luxury vehicle market. This will require significant investments in our production facilities and in distribution networks in these markets. If we are unable to introduce vehicles that appeal to consumers in these markets and achieve our brand expansion strategies, we may be unable to earn a sufficient return on these investments and this could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

6


Product recalls and warranty obligations may result in direct costs, and loss of vehicle sales could have material adverse effects on our business.
We, and the U.S. automotive industry in general, have recently experienced a significant increase in recall activity to address performance, compliance or safety-related issues. The costs we incur to recall vehicles typically include the cost of replacement parts and labor to remove and replace parts, substantially depend on the nature of the remedy and the number of vehicles affected, and may arise many years after a vehicle's sale. Product recalls may also harm our reputation and may cause consumers to question the safety or reliability of our products.
Any costs incurred, or lost vehicle sales, resulting from product recalls could materially adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations. Moreover, if we face consumer complaints, or we receive information from vehicle rating services that calls into question the safety or reliability of one of our vehicles and we do not issue a recall, or if we do not do so on a timely basis, our reputation may also be harmed and we may lose future vehicle sales.
We are also obligated under the terms of our warranty agreements to make repairs or replace parts in our vehicles at our expense for a specified period of time. Therefore, any failure rate that exceeds our assumptions may result in unanticipated losses.
Our future performance depends on our ability to expand into new markets as well as enrich our product portfolio and offer innovative products in existing markets.
Our success depends, among other things, on our ability to maintain or increase our share in existing markets and/or to expand into new markets through the development of innovative, high-quality products that are attractive to customers and provide adequate profitability. Following our January 2014 acquisition of the approximately 41.5 percent interest in FCA US that we did not already own, we announced our Business Plan in May 2014. Our Business Plan includes a number of product initiatives designed to improve the quality of our product offerings and grow sales in existing markets and expand in new markets.
It generally takes two years or more to design and develop a new vehicle, and a number of factors may lengthen that schedule. Because of this product development cycle and the various elements that may contribute to consumers’ acceptance of new vehicle designs, including competitors’ product introductions, fuel prices, general economic conditions and changes in styling preferences, an initial product concept or design that we believe will be attractive may not result in a vehicle that will generate sales in sufficient quantities and at high enough prices to be profitable. A failure to develop and offer innovative products that compare favorably to those of our principal competitors, in terms of price, quality, functionality and features, with particular regard to the upper-end of the product range, or delays in bringing strategic new models to the market, could impair our strategy, which would have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. Additionally, our high proportion of fixed costs, both due to our significant investment in property, plant and equipment as well as the requirements of our collective bargaining agreements, which limit our flexibility to adjust personnel costs to changes in demand for our products, may further exacerbate the risks associated with incorrectly assessing demand for our vehicles.
Further, if we determine that a safety or emissions defect, a mechanical defect or a non-compliance with regulation exists with respect to a vehicle model prior to the retail launch, the launch of such vehicle could be delayed until we remedy the defect or non-compliance. The costs associated with any protracted delay in new model launches necessary to remedy such defect, and the cost of providing a free remedy for such defects or non-compliance in vehicles that have been sold, could be substantial.
The automotive industry is highly competitive and cyclical and we may suffer from those factors more than some of our competitors.
Substantially all of our revenues are generated in the automotive industry, which is highly competitive, encompassing the production and distribution of passenger cars, light commercial vehicles and components and production systems. We face competition from other international passenger car and light commercial vehicle manufacturers and distributors and components suppliers in Europe, North America, Latin America and the Asia Pacific region. These markets are all highly competitive in terms of product quality, innovation, pricing, fuel economy, reliability, safety, customer service and financial services offered, and many of our competitors are better capitalized with larger market shares.

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Competition, particularly in pricing, has increased significantly in the automotive industry in recent years. Global vehicle production capacity significantly exceeds current demand, partly as a result of lower growth in demand for vehicles. This overcapacity, combined with high levels of competition and weakness of major economies, has intensified and may further intensify pricing pressures.
Our competitors may respond to these conditions by attempting to make their vehicles more attractive or less expensive to customers by adding vehicle enhancements, providing subsidized financing or leasing programs, or by reducing vehicle prices whether directly or by offering option package discounts, price rebates or other sales incentives in certain markets. These actions have had, and could continue to have, a negative impact on our vehicle pricing, market share, and results of operations.
In the automotive business, sales to end-customers are cyclical and subject to changes in the general condition of the economy, the readiness of end-customers to buy and their ability to obtain financing, as well as the possible introduction of measures by governments to stimulate demand. The automotive industry is also subject to the constant renewal of product offerings through frequent launches of new models. A negative trend in the automotive industry or our inability to adapt effectively to external market conditions coupled with more limited capital than many of our principal competitors could have a material adverse impact on our financial condition and results of operations.
Our current credit rating is below investment grade and any further deterioration may significantly affect our funding and prospects.
The ability to access the capital markets or other forms of financing and the related costs depend, among other things, on our credit ratings. Following downgrades by the major rating agencies, we are currently rated below investment grade. The rating agencies review these ratings regularly and, accordingly, new ratings may be assigned to us in the future. It is not currently possible to predict the timing or outcome of any ratings review. Any downgrade may increase our cost of capital and potentially limit our access to sources of financing, which may cause a material adverse effect on our business prospects, earnings and financial position. Since the ratings agencies may separately review and rate FCA US on a stand-alone basis, it is possible that our credit ratings may not benefit from any improvements in FCA US's credit ratings or that a deterioration in FCA US's credit ratings could result in a negative rating review of us. See Item 5B. Liquidity and Capital Resources for more information on our financing arrangements.
We may not be able to realize anticipated benefits from any acquisitions and challenges associated with strategic alliances may have an adverse impact on our results of operations.
We may engage in acquisitions or enter into, expand or exit from strategic alliances which could involve risks that may prevent us from realizing the expected benefits of the transactions or achieving our strategic objectives. Such risks could include:
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technological and product synergies, economies of scale and cost reductions not occurring as expected;
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unexpected liabilities;
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incompatibility in processes or systems;
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unexpected changes in laws or regulations;
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inability to retain key employees;
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inability to source certain products;
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increased financing costs and inability to fund such costs;
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significant costs associated with terminating or modifying alliances; and
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problems in retaining customers and integrating operations, services, personnel, and customer bases.

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If problems or issues were to arise among the parties to one or more strategic alliances for managerial, financial or other reasons, or if such strategic alliances or other relationships were terminated, our product lines, businesses, financial position and results of operations could be adversely affected.
We may not achieve the expected benefits from our integration of the Group’s operations.
The January 2014 acquisition of the approximately 41.5 percent interest in FCA US we did not already own and the related integration of the two businesses is intended to provide us with a number of long-term benefits, including allowing new vehicle platforms and powertrain technologies to be shared across a larger volume, as well as procurement benefits and global distribution opportunities, particularly the extension of brands into new markets. The integration is also intended to facilitate penetration of key brands in several international markets where we believe products would be attractive to consumers, but where we currently do not have significant market penetration.
The ability to realize the benefits of the integration is critical for us to compete with other automakers. If we are unable to convert the opportunities presented by the integration into long-term commercial benefits, either by improving sales of vehicles and service parts, reducing costs or both, our financial condition and results of operations may be materially adversely affected.
We may be exposed to shortfalls in our pension plans.
Our defined benefit pension plans are currently underfunded. As of December 31, 2014, our defined benefit pension plans were underfunded by approximately €5.1 billion (€4.8 billion of which relates to FCA US's defined benefit pension plans). Our pension funding obligations may increase significantly if the investment performance of plan assets does not keep pace with benefit payment obligations. Mandatory funding obligations may increase because of lower than anticipated returns on plan assets, whether as a result of overall weak market performance or particular investment decisions, changes in the level of interest rates used to determine required funding levels, changes in the level of benefits provided for by the plans, or any changes in applicable law related to funding requirements. Our defined benefit plans currently hold significant investments in equity and fixed income securities, as well as investments in less liquid instruments such as private equity, real estate and certain hedge funds. Due to the complexity and magnitude of certain investments, additional risks may exist, including significant changes in investment policy, insufficient market capacity to complete a particular investment strategy and an inherent divergence in objectives between the ability to manage risk in the short term and the ability to quickly rebalance illiquid and long-term investments.
To determine the appropriate level of funding and contributions to our defined benefit plans, as well as the investment strategy for the plans, we are required to make various assumptions, including an expected rate of return on plan assets and a discount rate used to measure the obligations under defined benefit pension plans. Interest rate increases generally will result in a decline in the value of investments in fixed income securities and the present value of the obligations. Conversely, interest rate decreases will generally increase the value of investments in fixed income securities and the present value of the obligations. See Item 5. Operating and Financial Review—Critical Accounting Estimates—Pension Plans.
Any reduction in the discount rate or the value of plan assets, or any increase in the present value of obligations, may increase our pension expenses and required contributions and, as a result, could constrain liquidity and materially adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations. If we fail to make required minimum funding contributions, we could be subject to reportable event disclosure to the U.S. Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, as well as interest and excise taxes calculated based upon the amount of any funding deficiency. With our ownership in FCA US now equal to 100 percent, we may become subject to certain U.S. legal requirements making us secondarily responsible for a funding shortfall in certain of FCA US's pension plans in the event these pension plans were terminated and FCA US were to become insolvent.
We may not be able to provide adequate access to financing for our dealers and retail customers.
Our dealers enter into wholesale financing arrangements to purchase vehicles from us to hold in inventory and facilitate retail sales, and retail customers use a variety of finance and lease programs to acquire vehicles.

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Unlike many of our competitors, we do not own and operate a controlled finance company dedicated solely to our mass-market operations in the U.S. and certain key markets in Europe. Instead we have elected to partner with specialized financial services providers through joint ventures and commercial agreements. Our lack of a controlled finance company in these key markets may increase the risk that our dealers and retail customers will not have access to sufficient financing on acceptable terms which may adversely affect our vehicle sales in the future. Furthermore, many of our competitors are better able to implement financing programs designed to maximize vehicle sales in a manner that optimizes profitability for them and their finance companies on an aggregate basis. Since our ability to compete depends on access to appropriate sources of financing for dealers and retail customers, our lack of a controlled finance company in those markets could adversely affect our results of operations.
In other markets, we rely on controlled finance companies, joint ventures and commercial relationships with third parties, including third party financial institutions, to provide financing to our dealers and retail customers. Finance companies are subject to various risks that could negatively affect their ability to provide financing services at competitive rates, including:
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the performance of loans and leases in their portfolio, which could be materially affected by delinquencies, defaults or prepayments;
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wholesale auction values of used vehicles;
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higher than expected vehicle return rates and the residual value performance of vehicles they lease; and
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fluctuations in interest rates and currency exchange rates.
Any financial services provider, including our joint ventures and controlled finance companies, will face other demands on its capital, including the need or desire to satisfy funding requirements for dealers or customers of our competitors as well as liquidity issues relating to other investments. Furthermore, they may be subject to regulatory changes that may increase their costs, which may impair their ability to provide competitive financing products to our dealers and retail customers.
To the extent that a financial services provider is unable or unwilling to provide sufficient financing at competitive rates to our dealers and retail customers, such dealers and retail customers may not have sufficient access to financing to purchase or lease our vehicles. As a result, our vehicle sales and market share may suffer, which would adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.
Vehicle sales depend heavily on affordable interest rates for vehicle financing.
In certain regions, financing for new vehicle sales has been available at relatively low interest rates for several years due to, among other things, expansive government monetary policies. To the extent that interest rates rise generally, market rates for new vehicle financing are expected to rise as well, which may make our vehicles less affordable to retail customers or steer consumers to less expensive vehicles that tend to be less profitable for us, adversely affecting our financial condition and results of operations. Additionally, if consumer interest rates increase substantially or if financial service providers tighten lending standards or restrict their lending to certain classes of credit, our retail customers may not desire to or be able to obtain financing to purchase or lease our vehicles. Furthermore, because our customers may be relatively more sensitive to changes in the availability and adequacy of financing and macroeconomic conditions, our vehicle sales may be disproportionately affected by changes in financing conditions relative to the vehicle sales of our competitors.
Limitations on our liquidity and access to funding may limit our ability to execute our Business Plan and improve our financial condition and results of operations.
Our future performance will depend on, among other things, our ability to finance debt repayment obligations and planned investments from operating cash flow, available liquidity, the renewal or refinancing of existing bank loans and/or facilities and possible access to capital markets or other sources of financing. Although we have measures in place that are designed to ensure that adequate levels of working capital and liquidity are maintained, declines in sales volumes could have a negative impact on the cash-generating capacity of our operating activities. For a discussion of these factors, see Item 5B. Liquidity and Capital Resources. We could, therefore, find ourselves in the position of having to seek additional financing and/or having to refinance existing debt, including in unfavorable market conditions, with limited availability of funding and

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a general increase in funding costs. Any limitations on our liquidity, due to decreases in vehicle sales, the amount of or restrictions in our existing indebtedness, conditions in the credit markets, general economic conditions or otherwise, may adversely impact our ability to execute our Business Plan and impair our financial condition and results of operations. In addition, any actual or perceived limitations of our liquidity may limit the ability or willingness of counterparties, including dealers, customers, suppliers and financial service providers, to do business with us, which may adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.
Our ability to achieve cost reductions and to realize production efficiencies is critical to maintaining our competitiveness and long-term profitability.
We are continuing to implement a number of cost reduction and productivity improvement initiatives in our operations, for example, by increasing the number of vehicles that are based on common platforms, reducing dependence on sales incentives offered to dealers and consumers, leveraging purchasing capacity and volumes and implementing World Class Manufacturing, or WCM, principles. WCM principles are intended to eliminate waste of all types, and improve worker efficiency, productivity, safety and vehicle quality as well as worker flexibility and focus on removing capacity bottlenecks to maximize output when market demand requires without having to resort to significant capital investments. As part of our Business Plan, we plan to continue our efforts to extend our WCM programs into all of our production facilities and benchmark across all of our facilities around the world. See Item 4B. Business Overview—Mass-Market Vehicles—Mass-Market Vehicle Design and Manufacturing for a discussion of these efforts. Our future success depends upon our ability to implement these initiatives successfully throughout our operations. While some productivity improvements are within our control, others depend on external factors, such as commodity prices, supply capacity limitations, or trade regulation. These external factors may make it more difficult to reduce costs as planned, and we may sustain larger than expected production expenses, materially affecting our business and results of operations. Furthermore, reducing costs may prove difficult due to the need to introduce new and improved products in order to meet consumer expectations.
Our business operations may be impacted by various types of claims, lawsuits, and other contingent obligations.
We are involved in various product liability, warranty, product performance, asbestos, personal injury, environmental claims and lawsuits, governmental investigations, antitrust, intellectual property, tax and other legal proceedings including those that arise in the ordinary course of our business. We estimate such potential claims and contingent liabilities and, where appropriate, record provisions to address these contingent liabilities. The ultimate outcome of the legal matters pending against us is uncertain, and although such claims, lawsuits and other legal matters are not expected individually to have a material adverse effect on our financial condition or results of operations, such matters could have, in the aggregate, a material adverse effect on our financial condition or results of operations. Furthermore, we could, in the future, be subject to judgments or enter into settlements of lawsuits and claims that could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations in any particular period. While we maintain insurance coverage with respect to certain claims, we may not be able to obtain such insurance on acceptable terms in the future, if at all, and any such insurance may not provide adequate coverage against any such claims. See also Notes 26 and 33 of the Consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this report for additional information.
Failure to maintain adequate financial and management processes and controls could lead to errors in our financial reporting, which could harm our business reputation and cause a default under certain covenants in our credit agreements and other debt.
We continuously monitor and evaluate changes in our internal controls over financial reporting. In support of our drive toward common global systems, we are extending the current finance, procurement, and capital project and investment management systems to new areas of operations. As appropriate, we continue to modify the design and documentation of internal control processes and procedures relating to the new systems to simplify and automate many of our previous processes. Our management believes that the implementation of these systems will continue to improve and enhance internal controls over financial reporting. Failure to maintain adequate financial and management processes and controls could lead to errors in our financial reporting, which could harm our business reputation.
In addition, if we do not maintain adequate financial and management personnel, processes and controls, we may not be able to accurately report our financial performance on a timely basis, which could cause a default under certain covenants in the indentures governing certain of our public indebtedness, and other credit agreements.

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A disruption in our information technology could compromise confidential and sensitive information.
We depend on our information technology and data processing systems to operate our business, and a significant malfunction or disruption in the operation of our systems, or a security breach that compromises the confidential and sensitive information stored in those systems, could disrupt our business and adversely impact our ability to compete.
Our ability to keep our business operating effectively depends on the functional and efficient operation of our information, data processing and telecommunications systems, including our vehicle design, manufacturing, inventory tracking and billing and payment systems. We rely on these systems to make a variety of day-to-day business decisions as well as to track transactions, billings, payments and inventory. Such systems are susceptible to malfunctions and interruptions due to equipment damage, power outages, and a range of other hardware, software and network problems. Those systems are also susceptible to cybercrime, or threats of intentional disruption, which are increasing in terms of sophistication and frequency. For any of these reasons, we may experience systems malfunctions or interruptions. Although our systems are diversified, including multiple server locations and a range of software applications for different regions and functions, and we are currently undergoing an effort to assess and ameliorate risks to our systems, a significant or large-scale malfunction or interruption of any one of our computer or data processing systems could adversely affect our ability to manage and keep our operations running efficiently, and damage our reputation if we are unable to track transactions and deliver products to our dealers and customers. A malfunction that results in a wider or sustained disruption to our business could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
In addition to supporting our operations, we use our systems to collect and store confidential and sensitive data, including information about our business, our customers and our employees. As our technology continues to evolve, we anticipate that we will collect and store even more data in the future, and that our systems will increasingly use remote communication features that are sensitive to both willful and unintentional security breaches. Much of our value is derived from our confidential business information, including vehicle design, proprietary technology and trade secrets, and to the extent the confidentiality of such information is compromised, we may lose our competitive advantage and our vehicle sales may suffer. We also collect, retain and use personal information, including data we gather from customers for product development and marketing purposes, and data we obtain from employees. In the event of a breach in security that allows third parties access to this personal information, we are subject to a variety of ever-changing laws on a global basis that require us to provide notification to the data owners, and that subject us to lawsuits, fines and other means of regulatory enforcement. Our reputation could suffer in the event of such a data breach, which could cause consumers to purchase their vehicles from our competitors. Ultimately, any significant compromise in the integrity of our data security could have a material adverse effect on our business.
We may not be able to adequately protect our intellectual property rights, which may harm our business.
Our success depends, in part, on our ability to protect our intellectual property rights. If we fail to protect our intellectual property rights, others may be able to compete against us using intellectual property that is the same as or similar to our own. In addition, there can be no guarantee that our intellectual property rights are sufficient to provide us with a competitive advantage against others who offer products similar to ours. Despite our efforts, we may be unable to prevent third parties from infringing our intellectual property and using our technology for their competitive advantage. Any such infringement and use could adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations.
The laws of some countries in which we operate do not offer the same protection of our intellectual property rights as do the laws of the U.S. or Europe. In addition, effective intellectual property enforcement may be unavailable or limited in certain countries, making it difficult for us to protect our intellectual property from misuse or infringement there. Our inability to protect our intellectual property rights in some countries may harm our business, financial condition or results of operations.
We are subject to risks relating to international markets and exposure to changes in local conditions.
We are subject to risks inherent to operating globally, including those related to:
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exposure to local economic and political conditions;
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import and/or export restrictions;

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multiple tax regimes, including regulations relating to transfer pricing and withholding and other taxes on remittances and other payments to or from subsidiaries;
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foreign investment and/or trade restrictions or requirements, foreign exchange controls and restrictions on the repatriation of funds. In particular, current regulations limit our ability to access and transfer liquidity out of Venezuela to meet demands in other countries and also subject us to increased risk of devaluation or other foreign exchange losses. See Item 5A. Operating Results—Recent Developments for more information regarding our Venezuela operations; and
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the introduction of more stringent laws and regulations.
Unfavorable developments in any one or a combination of these areas (which may vary from country to country) could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
Our success largely depends on the ability of our current management team to operate and manage effectively.
Our success largely depends on the ability of our senior executives and other members of management to effectively manage the Group and individual areas of the business. In particular, our Chief Executive Officer, Sergio Marchionne, is critical to the execution of our new strategic direction and implementation of the Business Plan. Although Mr. Marchionne has indicated his intention to remain as our Chief Executive Officer through the period of our Business Plan, if we were to lose his services or those of any of our other senior executives or key employees it could have a material adverse effect on our business prospects, earnings and financial position. We have developed succession plans that we believe are appropriate in the circumstances, although it is difficult to predict with any certainty that we will replace these individuals with persons of equivalent experience and capabilities. If we are unable to find adequate replacements or to attract, retain and incentivize senior executives, other key employees or new qualified personnel our business, financial condition and results of operations may suffer.
Developments in emerging market countries may adversely affect our business.
We operate in a number of emerging markets, both directly (e.g., Brazil and Argentina) and through joint ventures and other cooperation agreements (e.g., Turkey, India, China and Russia). Our Business Plan provides for expansion of our existing sales and manufacturing presence in our South and Central America, or LATAM, and Asia and Pacific countries, or APAC, regions. In recent years we have been the market leader in Brazil, which has provided a key contribution to our financial performance. Our exposure to other emerging countries has increased in recent years, as have the number and importance of such joint ventures and cooperation agreements. Economic and political developments in Brazil and other emerging markets, including economic crises or political instability, have had and could have in the future material adverse effects on our financial condition and results of operations. Further, in certain markets in which we or our joint ventures operate, government approval may be required for certain activities, which may limit our ability to act quickly in making decisions on our operations in those markets.
Maintaining and strengthening our position in these emerging markets is a key component of our global growth strategy in our Business Plan. However, with competition from many of the largest global manufacturers as well as numerous smaller domestic manufacturers, the automotive market in these emerging markets is highly competitive. As these markets continue to grow, we anticipate that additional competitors, both international and domestic, will seek to enter these markets and that existing market participants will try to aggressively protect or increase their market share. Increased competition may result in price reductions, reduced margins and our inability to gain or hold market share, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
Our reliance on joint ventures in certain emerging markets may adversely affect the development of our business in those regions.
We intend to expand our presence in emerging markets, including China and India, through partnerships and joint ventures. For instance, we have entered into a joint venture with Guangzhou Automobile Group Co., Ltd, or GAC Group, which will localize production of three new Jeep vehicles for the Chinese market and expand the portfolio of Jeep Sport Utility Vehicles, or SUVs, currently available to Chinese consumers as imports. We have also entered into a joint venture with TATA Motors Limited for the production of certain of our vehicles, engines and transmissions in India.

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Our reliance on joint ventures to enter or expand our presence in these markets may expose us to risk of conflict with our joint venture partners and the need to divert management resources to overseeing these shareholder arrangements. Further, as these arrangements require cooperation with third party partners, these joint ventures may not be able to make decisions as quickly as we would if we were operating on our own or may take actions that are different from what we would do on a standalone basis in light of the need to consider our partners’ interests. As a result, we may be less able to respond timely to changes in market dynamics, which could have an adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
Laws, regulations and governmental policies, including those regarding increased fuel economy requirements and reduced greenhouse gas emissions, may have a significant effect on how we do business and may adversely affect our results of operations.
In order to comply with government regulations related to fuel economy and emissions standards, we must devote significant financial and management resources, as well as vehicle engineering and design attention, to these legal requirements. We expect the number and scope of these regulatory requirements, along with the costs associated with compliance, to increase significantly in the future and these costs could be difficult to pass through to customers. As a result, we may face limitations on the types of vehicles we produce and sell and where we can sell them, which could have a material adverse impact on our financial condition and results of operations. For a discussion of these regulations, see Item 4B. Business Overview—Industry Overview—Environmental and Other Regulatory Matters.
Government initiatives to stimulate consumer demand for products sold by us, such as changes in tax treatment or purchase incentives for new vehicles, can substantially influence the timing and level of our revenues. The size and duration of such government measures are unpredictable and outside of our control. Any adverse change in government policy relating to those measures could have material adverse effects on our business prospects, financial condition and results of operations.
The financial resources required to develop and commercialize vehicles incorporating sustainable technologies for the future are significant, as are the barriers that limit the mass-market potential of such vehicles.
Our product strategy is driven by the objective of achieving sustainable mobility by reducing the environmental impact of vehicles over their entire life cycle. We therefore intend to continue investing capital resources to develop new sustainable technology. We aim to increase the use of alternative fuels, such as natural gas, by continuing to offer a range of dual-fuel passenger cars and commercial vehicles. Additionally, we plan to continue developing alternative propulsion systems, particularly for vehicles driven in urban areas (such as the zero-emission Fiat 500e).
In many cases, technological and cost barriers limit the mass-market potential of sustainable natural gas and electric vehicles. In certain other cases the technologies that we plan to employ are not yet commercially practical and depend on significant future technological advances by us and by suppliers. There can be no assurance that these advances will occur in a timely or feasible manner, that the funds we have budgeted or expended for these purposes will be adequate, or that we will be able to obtain rights to use these technologies. Further, our competitors and others are pursuing similar technologies and other competing technologies and there can be no assurance that they will not acquire similar or superior technologies sooner than we will or on an exclusive basis or at a significant price advantage.
Labor laws and collective bargaining agreements with our labor unions could impact our ability to increase the efficiency of our operations.
Substantially all of our production employees are represented by trade unions, are covered by collective bargaining agreements and/or are protected by applicable labor relations regulations that may restrict our ability to modify operations and reduce costs quickly in response to changes in market conditions. See Item 6D. Employees for a description of these arrangements. These and other provisions in our collective bargaining agreements may impede our ability to restructure our business successfully to compete more effectively, especially with those automakers whose employees are not represented by trade unions or are subject to less stringent regulations, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

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We depend on our relationships with suppliers.
We purchase raw materials and components from a large number of suppliers and depend on services and products provided by companies outside the Group. Close collaboration between an original equipment manufacturer, or OEM, and its suppliers is common in the automotive industry, and although this offers economic benefits in terms of cost reduction, it also means that we depend on our suppliers and are exposed to the possibility that difficulties, including those of a financial nature, experienced by those suppliers (whether caused by internal or external factors) could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
We face risks associated with increases in costs, disruptions of supply or shortages of raw materials.
We use a variety of raw materials in our business including steel, aluminum, lead, resin and copper, and precious metals such as platinum, palladium and rhodium, as well as energy. The prices for these raw materials fluctuate, and market conditions can affect our ability to manage our cost of sales over the short term. We seek to manage this exposure, but we may not be successful in managing our exposure to these risks. Substantial increases in the prices for raw materials would increase our operating costs and could reduce profitability if the increased costs cannot be offset by changes in vehicle prices or countered by productivity gains. In particular, certain raw materials are sourced from a limited number of suppliers and from a limited number of countries. We cannot guarantee that we will be able to maintain arrangements with these suppliers that assure access to these raw materials, and in some cases this access may be affected by factors outside of our control and the control of our suppliers. For instance, natural or man-made disasters or civil unrest may have severe and unpredictable effects on the price of certain raw materials in the future.
As with raw materials, we are also at risk for supply disruption and shortages in parts and components for use in our vehicles for many reasons including, but not limited to, tight credit markets or other financial distress, natural or man-made disasters, or production difficulties. We will continue to work with suppliers to monitor potential disruptions and shortages and to mitigate the effects of any emerging shortages on our production volumes and revenues. However, there can be no assurances that these events will not have an adverse effect on our production in the future, and any such effect may be material.
Any interruption in the supply or any increase in the cost of raw materials, parts, components and systems could negatively impact our ability to achieve our vehicle sales objectives and profitability. Long-term interruptions in supply of raw materials, parts, components and systems may result in a material impact on vehicle production, vehicle sales objectives, and profitability. Cost increases which cannot be recouped through increases in vehicle prices, or countered by productivity gains, may result in a material impact on our financial condition and/or results of operations.
We are subject to risks associated with exchange rate fluctuations, interest rate changes, credit risk and other market risks.
We operate in numerous markets worldwide and are exposed to market risks stemming from fluctuations in currency and interest rates. The exposure to currency risk is mainly linked to the differences in geographic distribution of our manufacturing activities and commercial activities, resulting in cash flows from sales being denominated in currencies different from those connected to purchases or production activities.
We use various forms of financing to cover funding requirements for our industrial activities and for providing financing to our dealers and customers. Moreover, liquidity for industrial activities is also principally invested in variable-rate or short-term financial instruments. Our financial services businesses normally operate a matching policy to offset the impact of differences in rates of interest on the financed portfolio and related liabilities. Nevertheless, changes in interest rates can affect net revenues, finance costs and margins.
We seek to manage risks associated with fluctuations in currency and interest rates through financial hedging instruments. Despite such hedges being in place, fluctuations in currency or interest rates could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. For example, the weakening of the Brazilian Real against the Euro in 2014 impacted the results of operations of our LATAM segment. See Item 5A. Operating Results—Results of Operations.
Our financial services activities are also subject to the risk of insolvency of dealers and retail customers, as well as unfavorable economic conditions in markets where these activities are carried out. Despite our efforts to mitigate such risks

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through the credit approval policies applied to dealers and retail customers, there can be no assurances that we will be able to successfully mitigate such risks, particularly with respect to a general change in economic conditions.
We are a Dutch public company with limited liability, and our shareholders may have rights different from those of shareholders of companies organized in the U.S.
The rights of our shareholders may be different from the rights of shareholders governed by the laws of U.S. jurisdictions. We are a Dutch public company with limited liability (naamloze vennootsehap). Our corporate affairs are governed by our articles of association and by the laws governing companies incorporated in the Netherlands. The rights of shareholders and the responsibilities of members of our board of directors may be different from the rights of shareholders and the responsibilities of members of our board of directors in companies governed by the laws of other jurisdictions including the U.S. In the performance of its duties, our board of directors is required by Dutch law to consider our interests and the interests of our shareholders, our employees and other stakeholders, in all cases with due observation of the principles of reasonableness and fairness. It is possible that some of these parties will have interests that are different from, or in addition to, your interests as a shareholder.
It may be difficult to enforce U.S. judgments against us.
We are organized under the laws of the Netherlands, and a substantial portion of our assets are outside of the U.S. Most of our directors and senior management and our independent auditors are resident outside the U.S., and all or a substantial portion of their respective assets may be located outside the U.S. As a result, it may be difficult for U.S. investors to effect service of process within the U.S. upon these persons. It may also be difficult for U.S. investors to enforce within the U.S. judgments predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the securities laws of the U.S. or any state thereof. In addition, there is uncertainty as to whether the courts outside the U.S. would recognize or enforce judgments of U.S. courts obtained against us or our directors and officers predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the securities laws of the U.S. or any state thereof. Therefore, it may be difficult to enforce U.S. judgments against us, our directors and officers and our independent auditors.
We operate so as to be treated as exclusively resident in the United Kingdom for tax purposes, but the relevant tax authorities may treat us as also being tax resident elsewhere.
We are not a company incorporated in the United Kingdom, or U.K. Therefore, whether we are resident in the U.K. for tax purposes will depend on whether our “central management and control” is located (in whole or in part) in the U.K. The test of “central management and control” is largely a question of fact and degree based on all the circumstances, rather than a question of law. Nevertheless, the decisions of the U.K. courts and the published practice of Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs, or HMRC, suggest that we, a group holding company, are likely to be regarded as having become U.K.-resident on this basis from incorporation and remaining so if, as we intend, (i) at least half of the meetings of our Board of Directors are held in the U.K. with a majority of directors present in the U.K. for those meetings; (ii) at those meetings there are full discussions of, and decisions are made regarding, the key strategic issues affecting us and our subsidiaries; (iii) those meetings are properly minuted; (iv) at least some of our directors, together with supporting staff, are based in the U.K.; and (v) we have permanent staffed office premises in the U.K.
Even if we are resident in the U.K. for tax purposes on this basis, as expected, we would nevertheless not be treated as U.K.-resident if (a) we were concurrently resident in another jurisdiction (applying the tax residence rules of that jurisdiction) that has a double tax treaty with the U.K. and (b) there is a tie-breaker provision in that tax treaty which allocates exclusive residence to that other jurisdiction.
Our residence for Italian tax purposes is largely a question of fact based on all circumstances. A rebuttable presumption of residence in Italy may apply under Article 73(5-bis) of the Italian Consolidated Tax Act, or CTA. However, we have set up and thus far maintained, and intend to continue to maintain, our management and organizational structure in such a manner that we should be deemed resident in the U.K. from our incorporation for the purposes of the Italy-U.K. tax treaty. The result of this is that we should not be regarded as an Italian tax resident either for the purposes of the Italy-U.K. tax treaty or for Italian domestic law purposes. Because this analysis is highly factual and may depend on future changes in our management and organizational structure, there can be no assurance regarding the final determination of our tax residence. Should we be treated as an Italian tax resident, we would be subject to taxation in Italy on our worldwide income and may be required to comply with withholding tax and/or reporting obligations provided under Italian tax law, which could result in additional costs and expenses.

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Even if our “central management and control” is in the U.K. as expected, we will be resident in the Netherlands for Dutch corporate income tax and Dutch dividend withholding tax purposes on the basis that we are incorporated there. Nonetheless, we will be regarded as solely resident in either the U.K. or the Netherlands under the Netherlands-U.K. tax treaty if the U.K. and Dutch competent authorities agree that this is the case. We have applied for a ruling from the U.K. and Dutch competent authorities that we should be treated as resident solely in the U.K. for the purposes of the treaty. The outcome of that application cannot be guaranteed and it is possible that the U.K. and Dutch competent authorities may fail to reach an agreement. We anticipate, however, that, so long as the factors listed in the third preceding paragraph are present at all material times, the possibility that the U.K. and Dutch competent authorities will rule that we should be treated as solely resident in the Netherlands is remote. If there is a change over time to the facts upon which a ruling issued by the competent authorities is based, the ruling may be withdrawn or cease to apply.
We therefore expect to continue to be treated as resident in the U.K. and subject to U.K. corporation tax.
Unless and until the U.K. and the Dutch competent authorities rule that we should be treated as solely resident in the U.K. for the purposes of the Netherlands-U.K. double tax treaty, the Netherlands will be allowed to levy tax on us as a Dutch-tax-resident taxpayer.
The U.K.’s controlled foreign company taxation rules may reduce net returns to shareholders.
On the assumption that we are resident for tax purposes in the U.K., we will be subject to the U.K. controlled foreign company, or CFC, rules. The CFC rules can subject U.K.-tax-resident companies (in this case, us) to U.K. tax on the profits of certain companies not resident for tax purposes in the U.K. in which they have at least a 25 percent direct or indirect interest. Interests of connected or associated persons may be aggregated with those of the U.K.-tax-resident company when applying this 25 percent threshold. For a company to be a CFC, it must be treated as directly or indirectly controlled by persons resident for tax purposes in the U.K. The definition of control is broad (it includes economic rights) and captures some joint ventures.
Various exemptions are available. One of these is that a CFC must be subject to tax in its territory of residence at an effective rate not less than 75 percent of the rate to which it would be subject in the U.K., after making specified adjustments. Another of the exemptions (the “excluded territories exemption”) is that the CFC is resident in a jurisdiction specified by HMRC in regulations (several jurisdictions in which our group has significant operations, including Brazil, Italy and the U.S., are so specified). For this exemption to be available, the CFC must not be involved in an arrangement with a main purpose of avoiding U.K. tax and the CFC’s income falling within certain categories (often referred to as the CFC’s “bad income”) must not exceed a set limit. In the case of the U.S. and certain other countries, the “bad income” test need not be met if the CFC does not have a permanent establishment in any other territory and the CFC or persons with an interest in it are subject to tax in its home jurisdiction on all its income (other than non-deductible distributions). We expect that our principal operating activities should fall within one or more of the exemptions from the CFC rules, in particular the excluded territories exemption.
Where the entity exemptions are not available, profits from activities other than finance or insurance will only be subject to apportionment under the CFC rules where:
•
some of the CFC’s assets or risks are acquired, managed or controlled to any significant extent in the U.K. (a) other than by a U.K. permanent establishment of the CFC and (b) other than under arm’s length arrangements;
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the CFC could not manage the assets or risks itself; and
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the CFC is party to arrangements which increase its profits while reducing tax payable in the U.K. and the arrangements would not have been made if they were not expected to reduce tax in some jurisdiction.
Profits from finance activities (whether considered trading or non-trading profits for U.K. tax purposes) or from insurance may be subject to apportionment under the CFC rules if they meet the tests set out above or specific tests for those activities. A full or 75 percent exemption may also be available for some non-trading finance profits.

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Although we do not expect the U.K.’s CFC rules to have a material adverse impact on our financial position, the effect of the new CFC rules on us is not yet certain. We will continue to monitor developments in this regard and seek to mitigate any adverse U.K. tax implications which may arise. However, the possibility cannot be excluded that the CFC rules may have a material adverse impact on our financial position, reducing net returns to our shareholders.
The existence of a permanent establishment in Italy for us after the Merger is a question of fact based on all the circumstances.
Whether we have maintained a permanent establishment in Italy after the Merger, or an Italian P.E., is largely a question of fact based on all the circumstances. We believe that, on the understanding that we should be a U.K.-resident company under the Italy-U.K. tax treaty, we are likely to be treated as maintaining an Italian P.E. because we have maintained and intend to continue to maintain sufficient employees, facilities and activities in Italy to qualify as maintaining an Italian P.E. Should this be the case (i) the embedded gains on our assets connected with the Italian P.E. cannot be taxed as a result of the Merger; (ii) our tax-deferred reserves cannot be taxed, inasmuch as they have been recorded in the Italian P.E.’s financial accounts; and (iii) the Italian fiscal unit that was headed by Fiat before the Merger, or Fiscal Unit, continues with respect to our Italian subsidiaries whose shareholdings are part of the Italian P.E.’s net worth.
According to Article 124(5) of the CTA, a mandatory ruling request should be submitted to the Italian tax authorities, in order to ensure the continuity, via the Italian P.E., of the Fiscal Unit that was previously in place between Fiat and its Italian subsidiaries. We filed a ruling request with the Italian tax authorities in respect of the continuation of the Fiscal Unit via the Italian P.E. on April 16, 2014. The Italian tax authorities issued the ruling on December 10, 2014, or the Ruling, confirming that the Fiscal Unit may continue via the Italian P.E. However, the Ruling is an interpretative ruling. It is not an assessment of a certain set of facts and circumstances. Therefore, even though the Ruling confirms that the Fiscal Unit may continue via the Italian P.E., this does not rule out that the Italian tax authorities may in the future verify whether we actually have a P.E. in Italy and potentially challenge the existence of such P.E. Because the analysis is highly factual, there can be no assurance regarding our maintenance of an Italian P.E. after the Merger.
Risks Related to Our Indebtedness
We have significant outstanding indebtedness, which may limit our ability to obtain additional funding on competitive terms and limit our financial and operating flexibility.
The extent of our indebtedness could have important consequences on our operations and financial results, including:
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we may not be able to secure additional funds for working capital, capital expenditures, debt service requirements or general corporate purposes;
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we may need to use a portion of our projected future cash flow from operations to pay principal and interest on our indebtedness, which may reduce the amount of funds available to us for other purposes;
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we may be more financially leveraged than some of our competitors, which may put us at a competitive disadvantage; and
•
we may not be able to adjust rapidly to changing market conditions, which may make us more vulnerable to a downturn in general economic conditions or our business.
These risks may be exacerbated by volatility in the financial markets, particularly those resulting from perceived strains on the finances and creditworthiness of several governments and financial institutions, particularly in the Eurozone.
Even after the January 2014 acquisition of the approximately 41.5 percent interest in FCA US that we did not already own, FCA US continues to manage financial matters, including funding and cash management, separately. Additionally, we have not provided guarantees or security or undertaken any other similar commitment in relation to any financial obligation of FCA US, nor do we have any commitment to provide funding to FCA US in the future.

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Furthermore, certain of our bonds include covenants that may be affected by FCA US's circumstances. In particular, these bonds include cross-default clauses which may accelerate the relevant issuer’s obligation to repay its bonds in the event that FCA US fails to pay certain debt obligations on maturity or is otherwise subject to an acceleration in the maturity of any of those obligations. Therefore, these cross-default provisions could require early repayment of those bonds in the event FCA US's debt obligations are accelerated or are not repaid at maturity. There can be no assurance that the obligation to accelerate the repayment by FCA US of its debts will not arise or that it will be able to pay its debt obligations when due at maturity.
In addition, one of our existing revolving credit facilities, expiring in July 2016, provides some limits on our ability to provide financial support to FCA US.
Restrictive covenants in our debt agreements could limit our financial and operating flexibility.
The indentures governing certain of our outstanding public indebtedness, and other credit agreements to which companies in the Group are a party, contain covenants that restrict the ability of companies in the Group to, among other things:
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incur additional debt;
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make certain investments;
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enter into certain types of transactions with affiliates;
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sell certain assets or merge with or into other companies;
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use assets as security in other transactions; and
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enter into sale and leaseback transactions.
For more information regarding our credit facilities and debt, see Item 5B. Liquidity and Capital Resources.
Restrictions arising out of FCA US's debt instruments may hinder our ability to manage our operations on a consolidated, global basis.
FCA US is party to credit agreements for certain senior credit facilities and an indenture for two series of secured senior notes. These debt instruments include covenants that restrict FCA US's ability to pay dividends or enter into sale and leaseback transactions, make certain distributions or purchase or redeem capital stock, prepay other debt, encumber assets, incur or guarantee additional indebtedness, incur liens, transfer and sell assets or engage in certain business combinations, enter into certain transactions with affiliates or undertake various other business activities.
In particular, in January 2014 and February 2015, FCA US paid distributions of U.S.$1.9 billion and U.S.$1.3 billion, respectively, to its members. Further distributions will be limited to 50 percent of FCA US's cumulative consolidated net income (as defined in the agreements) from the period from January 1, 2012 until the end of the most recent fiscal quarter, less the amounts of the January 2014 and February 2015 distributions. See Item 5B. Liquidity and Capital Resources.
These restrictive covenants could have an adverse effect on our business by limiting our ability to take advantage of financing, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures or other corporate opportunities. In particular, the senior credit facilities contain, and future indebtedness may contain, other and more restrictive covenants. These agreements also restrict FCA US from prepaying certain of its indebtedness or imposing limitations that make prepayment impractical. The senior credit facilities require FCA US to maintain borrowing base collateral coverage and a minimum liquidity threshold. A breach of any of these covenants or restrictions could result in an event of default on the indebtedness and the other indebtedness of FCA US or result in cross-default under certain of its or our indebtedness.
If FCA US is unable to comply with these covenants, its outstanding indebtedness may become due and payable and creditors may foreclose on pledged properties. In this case, FCA US may not be able to repay its debt and it is unlikely that it would be able to borrow sufficient additional funds. Even if new financing is made available to FCA US in such circumstances, it may not be available on acceptable terms.

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Compliance with certain of these covenants could also restrict FCA US's ability to take certain actions that its management believes are in FCA US's and our best long-term interests.
Should FCA US be unable to undertake strategic initiatives due to the covenants provided for by the above-referenced instruments, our business prospects, financial condition and results of operations could be impacted.
No assurance can be given that restrictions arising out of FCA US's debt instruments will be eliminated.
In connection with our capital planning to support the Business Plan, we have announced our intention to eliminate existing contractual terms limiting the free flow of capital among Group companies, including through the redemption of each series of FCA US's outstanding secured senior notes no later than their optional redemption dates in June 2015 and 2016, as well as the refinancing of outstanding FCA US term loans and its revolving credit facility at or before this time. No assurance can be given regarding the timing of such transactions or that such transactions will be completed.
Substantially all of the assets of FCA US and its U.S. subsidiary guarantors are unconditionally pledged as security under its senior credit facilities and secured senior notes and could become subject to lenders’ contractual rights if an event of default were to occur.
FCA US and several of its U.S. subsidiaries are obligors or guarantors under FCA US's senior credit facilities and secured senior notes. The obligations under the senior credit facilities and secured senior notes are secured by senior and junior priority, respectively, security interests in substantially all of the assets of FCA US and its U.S. subsidiary guarantors. The collateral includes 100 percent of the equity interests in FCA US's U.S. subsidiaries, 65 percent of the equity interests in its non-U.S. subsidiaries held directly by FCA US and its U.S. subsidiary guarantors, all personal property and substantially all of FCA US's U.S. real property other than its Auburn Hills, Michigan headquarters. An event of default under FCA US's senior credit facilities and/or secured senior notes could trigger its lenders’ or noteholders’ contractual rights to enforce their security interest in these assets.
Risks Relating to the Proposed Separation of Ferrari
No assurance can be given that the Ferrari separation will occur.
No assurance can be given as to whether and when the separation of Ferrari will occur. We may determine to delay or abandon the separation at any time for any reason or for no reason.
The terms of the proposed separation of Ferrari and Ferrari’s stand-alone capital structure have not been determined.
The terms of the proposed separation of Ferrari and Ferrari’s stand-alone capital structure have not yet been determined. Our preliminary plans are described in Item 5.A. Operating Results - Recent Developments. However, the final structure and terms of the separation may not coincide with the terms set forth in this report. No assurance can be given as to the terms of the prospective interest in Ferrari or the terms of how it will be distributed.
We may be unable to achieve some or all of the benefits that we expect to achieve from our separation from Ferrari.
We may not be able to achieve the financial and other benefits that we expect will result from the separation of Ferrari. The anticipated benefits of the separation are based on a number of assumptions, some of which may prove incorrect. For example, there can be no assurance that the separation of Ferrari will enable us to strengthen our capital base sufficiently to offset the loss of the earnings and potential earnings of Ferrari.
Following the Ferrari separation, the price of our common shares may fluctuate significantly.
We cannot predict the prices at which our common shares may trade after the separation, the effect of the separation on the trading prices of our common shares or whether the market value of our common shares and the common shares of Ferrari held by a shareholder after the separation will be less than, equal to or greater than the market value of our common shares held by such shareholder prior to the separation.

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We intend for the Ferrari separation to qualify as a generally tax-free distribution for our shareholders from a U.S. federal income tax perspective, and as a tax-free transaction from an Italian income tax perspective, but no assurance can be given that the separation will receive such tax-free treatment in the United States or in other jurisdictions.
It is our intention to structure the Ferrari separation and any spin-off to our shareholders in a tax efficient manner from a U.S. federal income tax perspective, taking appropriate account of the potential impact on shareholders, but no assurance can be given that the intended tax treatment will be achieved, or that shareholders, and/or persons that receive the benefit of Ferrari shares, will not incur substantial tax liabilities in connection with the separation and distribution. In particular, the requirements for favorable treatment differ (and may conflict) from jurisdiction to jurisdiction and the relevant requirements are often complex, and no assurance can be given that any ruling (or similar guidance) from any taxing authority would be sought or, if sought, granted. Following an initial public offering of a portion of our equity interest in Ferrari, we currently intend to spin-off our remaining equity interest in Ferrari to holders of our common shares and mandatory convertible securities (which we intend to treat as our stock for U.S. federal income tax purposes), and we currently intend for such spin-off to qualify as a generally tax-free distribution for holders of our stock for U.S. federal income tax purposes. However, the structure and terms of any distribution have not been determined and there can be no assurance that a distribution of Ferrari or any other spin-off would qualify as a tax-free distribution or that holders of our shares or mandatory convertible securities would not recognize gain for U.S. federal income tax purposes in connection with any such distribution or spin-off.
In addition, no assurance can be given that the Ferrari separation will not give rise to additional taxable income in Italy in the hands of the Italian P.E. of FCA. Depending on how large this additional taxable income is, it may or may not be fully offset by the current year or carried forward losses that the Fiscal Unit may use based on the Ruling.
In addition, no assurance can be given that our shareholders subject to Italian tax will not incur substantial Italian tax liabilities in connection with the Ferrari separation.
Risks Related to our Common Shares
Our maintenance of two exchange listings may adversely affect liquidity in the market for our common shares and could result in pricing differentials of our common shares between the two exchanges.
Shortly following the closing of the Merger and the listing of our common shares on the New York Stock Exchange, or NYSE, we listed our common shares on the Mercato Telematico Azionario, or MTA. The dual listing of our common shares may split trading between the two markets and adversely affect the liquidity of the shares in one or both markets and the development of an active trading market for our common shares on the NYSE and may result in price differentials between the exchanges. Differences in the trading schedules, as well as volatility in the exchange rate of the two trading currencies, among other factors, may result in different trading prices for our common shares on the two exchanges.
The loyalty voting structure may affect the liquidity of our common shares and reduce our common share price.
The implementation of the loyalty voting structure could reduce the liquidity of our common shares and adversely affect the trading prices of the our common shares. The loyalty voting structure was intended to reward shareholders for maintaining long-term share ownership by granting initial shareholders and persons holding our common shares continuously for at least three years at any time following the effectiveness of the Merger the option to elect to receive our special voting shares. Our special voting shares cannot be traded and, immediately prior to the deregistration of common shares from the FCA Loyalty Register, any corresponding special voting shares shall be transferred to us for no consideration (om niet). This loyalty voting structure is designed to encourage a stable shareholder base and, conversely, it may deter trading by those shareholders who are interested in gaining or retaining our special voting shares. Therefore, the loyalty voting structure may reduce liquidity in our common shares and adversely affect their trading price.

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The loyalty voting structure may make it more difficult for shareholders to acquire a controlling interest, change our management or strategy or otherwise exercise influence over us, and the market price of our common shares may be lower as a result.
The provisions of our articles of association which establish the loyalty voting structure may make it more difficult for a third party to acquire, or attempt to acquire, control of our company, even if a change of control were considered favorably by shareholders holding a majority of our common shares. As a result of the loyalty voting structure, a relatively large proportion of our voting power could be concentrated in a relatively small number of shareholders who would have significant influence over us. As of February 27, 2015, Exor had a voting interest in FCA of approximately 44.31 percent due to its participation in the loyalty voting structure and as a result will have the ability to exercise significant influence on matters involving our shareholders. Such shareholders participating in the loyalty voting structure could effectively prevent change of control transactions that may otherwise benefit our shareholders. The loyalty voting structure may also prevent or discourage shareholders' initiatives aimed at changing our management or strategy or otherwise exerting influence over us.
The loyalty voting structure may also prevent or discourage shareholders’ initiatives aimed at changes in our management.
There may be potential Passive Foreign Investment Company tax considerations for U.S. Shareholders.
Shares of our stock held by a U.S. holder would be stock of a passive foreign investment company, or a PFIC, for U.S. federal income tax purposes with respect to a U.S. Shareholder if for any taxable year in which such U.S. Shareholder held our common shares, after the application of applicable look-through rules (i) 75 percent or more of our gross income for the taxable year consists of passive income (including dividends, interest, gains from the sale or exchange of investment property and rents and royalties other than rents and royalties which are received from unrelated parties in connection with the active conduct of a trade or business, as defined in applicable Treasury Regulations), or (ii) at least 50 percent of its assets for the taxable year (averaged over the year and determined based upon value) produce or are held for the production of passive income. U.S. persons who own shares of a PFIC are subject to a disadvantageous U.S. federal income tax regime with respect to the income derived by the PFIC, the dividends they receive from the PFIC, and the gain, if any, they derive from the sale or other disposition of their shares in the PFIC.
While we believe that shares of our stock are not stock of a PFIC for U.S. federal income tax purposes, this conclusion is based on a factual determination made annually and thus is subject to change. Moreover, shares of our stock may become stock of a PFIC in future taxable years if there were to be changes in our assets, income or operations.
Tax consequences of the loyalty voting structure are uncertain.
No statutory, judicial or administrative authority directly discusses how the receipt, ownership, or disposition of special voting shares should be treated for Italian, U.K. or U.S. tax purposes and as a result, the tax consequences in those jurisdictions are uncertain.
The fair market value of our special voting shares, which may be relevant to the tax consequences, is a factual determination and is not governed by any guidance that directly addresses such a situation. Because, among other things, the special voting shares are not transferable (other than, in very limited circumstances, together with our associated common shares) and a shareholder will receive amounts in respect of the special voting shares only if we are liquidated, we believe and intend to take the position that the fair market value of each special voting share is minimal. However, the relevant tax authorities could assert that the value of the special voting shares as determined by us is incorrect.
The tax treatment of the loyalty voting structure is unclear and shareholders are urged to consult their tax advisors in respect of the consequences of acquiring, owning and disposing of special voting shares.
Tax may be required to be withheld from dividend payments.
Unless and until the U.K. and the Dutch competent authorities rule that we should be treated as solely resident in the U.K. for the purposes of the Netherlands-U.K. double tax treaty, dividends distributed by us will be subject to Dutch dividend withholding tax (subject to any relief which may be available under Dutch law or the terms of any applicable double tax treaty) and we will be under no obligation to pay additional amounts in respect thereof.

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In addition, even if the U.K. and Dutch competent authorities rule that we should be treated as solely resident in the U.K. for the purposes of the Netherlands-U.K. double tax treaty, under Dutch domestic law dividend payments made by us to Dutch residents may still be required to be paid subject to Dutch dividend withholding tax and we would have no obligation to pay additional amounts in respect of such payments. We intend to seek confirmation from the Dutch tax authorities that such withholding will not be required, but no assurances can be given.
Should Dutch or Italian withholding taxes be imposed on future dividends or distributions with respect to our common shares, whether such withholding taxes are creditable against a tax liability to which a shareholder is otherwise subject depends on the laws of such shareholder’s jurisdiction and such shareholder’s particular circumstances. Shareholders are urged to consult their tax advisors in respect of the consequences of the potential imposition of Dutch and/or Italian withholding taxes.
See "We operate so as to be treated as exclusively resident in the United Kingdom for tax purposes, but the relevant tax authorities may treat it as also being tax resident elsewhere." in the section —Risks Related to Our Business, Strategy and Operations.


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Item 4. Information on the Company
A. History and Development of the Company

History of FCA
FCA was incorporated as a public limited liability company (naamloze vennotschap) under the laws of the Netherlands on April 1, 2014. Its principal office is located at 25 St. James's Street, London SW1A 1HA, United Kingdom (telephone number: +44 (0)20 7766 0311). 
Fiat, the predecessor to FCA, was founded as Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino, on July 11, 1899 in Turin, Italy as an automobile manufacturer. Fiat opened its first factory in 1900 in Corso Dante in Turin with 150 workers producing 24 cars. In 1902 Giovanni Agnelli, Fiat’s founder, became the Managing Director of the company.
Beginning in 2008, Fiat pursued a process of transformation in order to meet the challenges of a changing marketplace characterized by global overcapacity in automobile production and the consequences of economic recession that has persisted particularly in the European markets on which it had historically depended. As part of its efforts to restructure operations, Fiat worked to expand the scope of its automotive operations, having concluded that significantly greater scale was necessary to enable it to be a competitive force in the increasingly global automotive markets.
In April 2009, Fiat and Old Carco LLC, formerly known as Chrysler LLC, or Old Carco, entered into a master transaction agreement, pursuant to which FCA US LLC, formerly known as Chrysler Group LLC, or FCA US, agreed to purchase the principal operating assets of Old Carco and to assume certain of Old Carco's liabilities. Old Carco traced its roots to the company originally founded by Walter P. Chrysler in 1925 that, since that time, expanded through the acquisition of the Dodge and Jeep brands.
Following the closing of that transaction on June 10, 2009, Fiat held an initial 20 percent ownership interest in FCA US, with the UAW Retiree Medical Benefits Trust, or the VEBA Trust, the U.S. Treasury and the Canadian government holding the remaining interests. FCA US's operations were funded with financing from the U.S. Treasury and Canadian government. In addition, Fiat held several options to acquire additional ownership interests in FCA US.
Over the following years, Fiat acquired additional ownership interests in FCA US, leading to majority ownership and full consolidation of FCA US’s results into our financial statements from June 1, 2011. On May 24, 2011, FCA US refinanced the U.S. and Canadian government loans, and, in July 2011, Fiat acquired the ownership interests in FCA US held by the U.S. Treasury and Canadian government.
In January 2014, Fiat purchased all of the VEBA Trust’s equity interests in FCA US, which represented the approximately 41.5 percent of FCA US interest not then held by us. The transaction was completed on January 21, 2014, resulting in FCA US becoming an indirect 100 percent owned subsidiary of FCA.
On October 29, 2014, FCA's Board of Directors announced that it had authorized the separation of Ferrari from FCA. The separation is expected to be effected through a public offering of a portion of FCA's interest in Ferrari and a spin-off of FCA's remaining equity interest in Ferrari to FCA's shareholders.
The FCA Merger
On January 29, 2014, the Board of Directors of Fiat approved a proposed corporate reorganization resulting in the formation of FCA and decided to establish FCA, organized in the Netherlands, as the parent company of the Group with its principal executive offices in the United Kingdom.
On June 15, 2014, the Board of Directors of Fiat. approved the terms of a cross-border legal merger of Fiat, the parent of the Group, into its 100 percent owned direct subsidiary, FCA, or the Merger. Fiat shareholders received in the Merger one (1) FCA common share for each Fiat ordinary share that they held. Moreover, under the Articles of Association of FCA, FCA shareholders received, if they so elected and were otherwise eligible to participate in the loyalty voting structure, one (1) FCA special voting share for each FCA common share received in the Merger. The loyalty voting structure is designed to provide eligible long-term FCA shareholders with two votes for each FCA common share held. For additional

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information regarding the FCA special voting shares, see Item 10. Additional Information — B. Memorandum and Article of Association -Loyalty Voting Structure.
FCA was incorporated under the name Fiat Investments N.V. with issued share capital of €200,000, fully paid and divided into 20,000,000 common shares having a nominal value of €0.01 each. Capital increased to €350,000 on May 13, 2014.
Fiat shareholders voted and approved the Merger at their extraordinary general meeting held on August 1, 2014. After this approval, Fiat shareholders not voting in favor of the Merger were entitled to exercise cash exit rights (the "Cash Exit Rights") by August 20, 2014. The redemption price payable to these shareholders was €7.727 per share (the “Exit Price”), equivalent to the average daily closing price published by Borsa Italiana for the six months prior to the date of the notice calling the meeting).
On October 7, 2014, Fiat announced that all conditions precedent to completion of the Merger were satisfied.
The Cash Exit Rights were exercised for a total of 60,002,027 Fiat shares equivalent to an aggregate amount of €464 million at the Exit Price. Pursuant to the Italian Civil Code, these shares were offered to Fiat shareholders not having exercised the Cash Exit Rights. On October 7, 2014, at the completion of the offer period Fiat shareholders elected to purchase 6,085,630 shares out of the total of 60,002,027 for a total of €47 million; as a result, concurrent with the Merger, on October 12, 2014, a total of 53,916,397 Fiat shares were canceled in the Merger with a resulting net aggregate cash disbursement of €417 million.
As a consequence, the Merger became effective on October 12, 2014. On October 13, 2014 FCA common shares commenced trading on the NYSE and on the MTA. The Merger is recognized in FCA’s annual accounts from January 1, 2014. FCA, as successor of Fiat is now therefore the parent company of the Group. There were no accounting effects as a direct result of the Merger.
B. Business Overview
Business Summary
We are an international automotive group engaged in designing, engineering, manufacturing, distributing and selling vehicles, components and production systems. We are the seventh largest automaker in the world based on total vehicle sales in 2014. We have operations in approximately 40 countries and sell our vehicles directly or through distributors and dealers in more than 150 countries. We design, engineer, manufacture, distribute and sell vehicles for the mass market under the Abarth, Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat, Fiat Professional, Jeep, Lancia and Ram brands and the SRT performance vehicle designation. We support our vehicle sales by after-sales services and parts worldwide using the Mopar brand for mass market vehicles. We make available retail and dealer financing, leasing and rental services through our subsidiaries, joint ventures and commercial arrangements. In addition, we design, engineer, manufacture, distribute and sell luxury vehicles under the Ferrari and Maserati brands, which we support with financial services provided to our dealers and retail customers. We also operate in the components and production systems sectors under the Magneti Marelli, Teksid and Comau brands.
Our activities are carried out through seven reportable segments: four regional mass-market vehicle segments (NAFTA, LATAM, APAC and EMEA), Ferrari and Maserati, our two global luxury brand segments, and a global Components segment (see —Overview of Our Business for a description of these reportable segments).
On October 29, 2014 our Board of Directors announced that it had authorized the separation of Ferrari from FCA. The separation is expected to be effected through a public offering of a portion of our interest in Ferrari and a spin-off of our remaining equity interest in Ferrari to our shareholders.
In 2014, we shipped 4.6 million vehicles. For the year ended December 31, 2014, we reported net revenues of €96.1 billion, EBIT of €3.2 billion and net profit of €0.6 billion. At December 31, 2014 we had available liquidity of €26.2 billion (including €3.2 billion available under undrawn committed credit lines). At December 31, 2014 we had net industrial debt of €7.7 billion. See Item 5. Operating and Financial Review—Non-GAAP Financial Measures—Net Industrial Debt.

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Industry Overview
Vehicle Segments and Descriptions
We manufacture and sell passenger cars, light trucks and light commercial vehicles covering all market segments.
Passenger cars can be divided among seven main groups, whose definition could slightly vary by region. Mini cars, known as “A segment” vehicles in Europe and often referred to as “city cars,” are between 2.7 and 3.7 meters in length and include three- and five-door hatchbacks. Small cars, known as “B segment” vehicles in Europe and “sub-compacts” in the U.S., range in length from 3.7 meters to 4.4 meters and include three- and five-door hatchbacks and sedans. Compact cars, known as “C segment” vehicles in Europe, range in length from 4.3 meters to 4.7 meters, typically have a sedan body and mostly include three- and five-door hatchback cars. Mid-size cars, known as “D segment” vehicles in Europe, range between 4.7 meters to 4.9 meters, typically have a sedan body or are station wagons. Full-size cars range in length from 4.9 meters to 5.1 meters and are typically sedan cars or, in Europe, station wagons. Minivans, also known as multi-purpose vehicles, or MPVs, typically have seating for up to eight passengers. Utility vehicles include SUVs, which are four-wheel drive with true off-road capabilities, and cross utility vehicles, or CUVs, which are not designed for heavy off-road use, but offer better on-road ride comfort and handling compared to SUVs.
Light trucks may be divided between vans (also known as light commercial vehicles), which typically are used for the transportation of goods or groups of people and have a payload capability up to 4.2 tons, and pick-up trucks, which are light motor vehicles with an open-top rear cargo area and which range in length from 4.8 meters to 5.2 meters (in North America, the length of pick-up trucks typically ranges from 5.5 meters to 6 meters). In North America, minivans and utility vehicles are categorized within trucks. In Europe, vans and pick-up trucks are categorized as light commercial vehicles.
We characterize a vehicle as “new” if its vehicle platform is significantly different from the platform used in the prior model year and/or has had a full exterior renewal. We characterize a vehicle as “significantly refreshed” if it continues its previous vehicle platform but has extensive changes or upgrades from the prior model.
Our Industry
Designing, engineering, manufacturing, distributing and selling vehicles require significant investments in product design, engineering, research and development, technology, tooling, machinery and equipment, facilities and marketing in order to meet both consumer preferences and regulatory requirements. Automotive original equipment manufacturers, or OEMs, are able to benefit from economies of scale by leveraging their investments and activities on a global basis across brands and models. The automotive industry has also historically been highly cyclical, and to a greater extent than many industries, is impacted by changes in the general economic environment. In addition to having lower leverage and greater access to capital, larger OEMs that have a more diversified revenue base across regions and products tend to be better positioned to withstand industry downturns and to benefit from industry growth.
Most automotive OEMs produce vehicles for the mass market and some of them also produce vehicles for the luxury market. Vehicles in the mass market are typically intended to appeal to the largest number of consumers possible. Intense competition among manufacturers of mass market vehicles, particularly for non-premium brands, tends to compress margins, requiring significant volumes to be profitable. As a result, success is measured in part by vehicle unit sales relative to other automotive OEMs. Luxury vehicles on the other hand are designed to appeal to consumers with higher levels of disposable income, and can therefore more easily achieve much higher margins. This allows luxury vehicle OEMs to produce lower volumes, enhancing brand appeal and exclusivity, while maintaining profitability.
In 2014, 84 million automobiles were sold around the world. Although China is the largest single automotive sales market, with approximately 18 million vehicles sold, the majority of automobile sales are still in the developed markets, including North America, Western Europe and Japan. Growth in other emerging markets has also played an increasingly important part in global automotive demand in recent years.
The automotive industry is highly competitive, especially in our key markets, such as the U.S., Brazil and Europe. Vehicle manufacturers must continuously improve vehicle design, performance and content to meet consumer demands for quality, reliability, safety, fuel efficiency, comfort, driving experience and style. Historically, manufacturers relied heavily

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upon dealer, retail and fleet incentives, including cash rebates, option package discounts, guaranteed depreciation programs, and subsidized or subvented financing or leasing programs to compete for vehicle sales. Since 2009, manufacturers generally have worked to reduce reliance on pricing-related incentives as competitive tools in the North American market, while pricing pressure, under different forms, is still affecting sales in the European market since the inception of the financial crisis. However, an OEM’s ability to increase or maintain vehicle prices and reduce reliance on incentives is limited by the competitive pressures resulting from the variety of available competitive vehicles in each segment of the new vehicle market as well as continued global manufacturing overcapacity in the automotive industry. At the same time, OEMs generally cannot effectively lower prices as a means to increase vehicle sales without adversely affecting profitability, since the ability to reduce costs is limited by commodity market prices, contract terms with suppliers, evolving regulatory requirements and collective bargaining agreements and other factors that limit the ability to reduce labor expenses.
OEMs generally sell vehicles to dealers and distributors, which then resell vehicles to retail and fleet customers. Retail customers purchase vehicles directly from dealers, while fleet customers purchase vehicles from dealers or directly from OEMs. Fleet sales comprise three primary channels: (i) daily rental, (ii) commercial and (iii) government. Vehicle sales in the daily rental and government channels are extremely competitive and often require significant discounts. Fleet sales are an important source of revenue and can also be an effective means for marketing vehicles. Fleet orders can also help normalize plant production as they typically involve the delivery of a large, pre-determined quantity of vehicles over several months. Fleet sales are also a source of aftermarket service parts revenue for OEMs and service revenue for dealers.
Environmental and Other Regulatory Matters
We manufacture and sell our products and offer our services around the world. Our operations are subject to a variety of environmental laws and regulations governing, among other things, our vehicles, with requirements relating to emissions, reduced fuel consumption and safety becoming increasingly strict, and manufacturing facilities, with requirements for emissions, treatment of waste, water and hazardous materials and prohibitions on soil contamination. Our vehicles and the engines that power them must also comply with extensive regional, national and local laws and regulations and industry self-regulations (including those that regulate vehicle safety, end-of-life vehicles, emissions and noise).
We are substantially in compliance with the relevant global regulatory requirements affecting our facilities and products. We constantly monitor such requirements and adjust our operations to remain in compliance.
Our Group Environmental Guidelines apply to all Group operations worldwide. These Guidelines specify our approach to environmental issues and provide clear instructions on setting and updating environmental objectives, developing new products and conducting daily activities around the globe. Our implementation of these Guidelines is designed to have the Group comply with all applicable environmental legislation and regulations, and where feasible, to outperform them.
Automotive Emissions
Numerous laws and regulations limit automotive emissions, including vehicle exhaust emission standards, vehicle evaporative emission standards and onboard diagnostic, or OBD, system requirements. Advanced OBD systems are used to identify and diagnose problems with emission control systems. Emission and OBD requirements become more challenging each year, requiring vehicles to continually meet lower emission standards and implement new diagnostics. We expect these requirements will continue to become even more rigorous worldwide.
NAFTA Region
Under the U.S. Clean Air Act, the Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA, and the California Air Resources Board, or CARB (by EPA waiver), require emission compliance certification before a vehicle can be sold in the U.S. or in California (and many other states that have adopted the California emissions requirements). Both agencies impose limits on tailpipe and evaporative emissions of certain smog-forming pollutants from new motor vehicles and engines.
EPA recently issued new tailpipe and evaporative emission standards, as well as fuel requirements, under its Tier 3 Vehicle Emission and Fuel Standards Program, or Tier 3 standards. These Tier 3 standards are generally more stringent than prior standards. The Tier 3 standards are also generally aligned with California’s Low Emission Vehicle III, or LEV III, tailpipe and evaporative standards, discussed below. These standards would further require us to conduct post-production vehicle testing to demonstrate compliance with these emissions limits for the estimated useful life of a vehicle, for up to 15

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years and 150,000 miles, depending on the compliance category, and are scheduled to become effective in model year 2017 for light-duty vehicles and 2018 for heavy-duty vehicles.
In addition, EPA and CARB regulations require that a vehicle’s emissions performance be monitored with OBD systems. We have implemented hardware and software systems in all our vehicles to comply with the OBD requirements. Conditions identified through OBD systems could lead to vehicle recalls (or other remedial actions such as extended warranties) with significant costs for related inspections, repairs or per-vehicle penalties.
California sets its own emissions standards pursuant to a waiver from EPA under the Clean Air Act. CARB’s LEV III standards relate to vehicle certification, OBD and tailpipe and evaporative emissions limitations, and apply to 2015 and later model year vehicles. CARB regulations also require that a specified percentage of cars and certain light-duty trucks sold in California must be zero emission vehicles, or ZEVs, such as electric vehicles or hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. A manufacturer can earn credits toward the ZEV requirement through the sale of advanced-technology vehicles such as hybrid electric vehicles or natural gas vehicles with extremely low tailpipe emissions and, as set forth in the LEV III standards, over-complying with the federal model year 2017 through 2025 greenhouse gas standards, retiring such credits and applying them to its ZEV obligation. The ZEV regulations, which CARB revised most recently for the 2018 and subsequent model years, require increasing volumes of battery electric and other advanced technology vehicles with each model year. We currently comply with ZEV requirements using a variety of vehicles, including battery electric vehicles, or full ZEVs, internal combustion engine vehicles certified to very low tailpipe emissions and zero evaporative emissions, or partial ZEVs.
The Clean Air Act permits other states to adopt California’s emission standards, starting with the 2014 model year. Twelve other states, as well as the Province of Quebec, Canada, currently use California’s LEV III standards in lieu of the federal EPA standards, and 10 states also have adopted California’s ZEV requirements.
LATAM Region
Certain countries in South America follow U.S. procedures, standards and OBD requirements, while others follow the European procedures, standards and OBD requirements described below under —EMEA Region. In Brazil, vehicle emission standards have been in place since 1988 for passenger cars and light commercial vehicles, and these regulations were extended to light diesel vehicles in 2012. Argentina has implemented regulations that mirror the Euro 5 standards for all new vehicles.
APAC Region
China—China has implemented standards that mirror Euro 4 standards, which defined limits for polluting emissions and implemented European OBD requirements nationwide for newly registered vehicles. However, some major cities, such as Beijing and Shanghai, have already introduced more stringent emissions standards that mirror Euro 5 standards discussed under —EMEA Region below. The Fiat Viaggio, launched in China in 2012, has been developed to meet Euro 5 standards. Nationwide implementation of Euro 5 standards is scheduled for 2018.
Other Countries in APAC—South Korea has adopted regulations that largely mirror CARB’s Lev II exhaust emissions standards and likely will implement regulations that mirror CARB’s Lev III regulations beginning in 2016. In Japan, vehicle emissions are regulated through the requirement that vehicles undergo the “specific driving cycle” procedure, an emissions testing procedure unique to Japan. However, Japan may adopt the Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicle Testing Procedures as soon as 2016. These regulations will define a global harmonized standard for determining the levels of pollutants and CO2 emissions, fuel or energy consumption for light-duty vehicles and electric range for battery electric vehicles or hybrids. Since 2010, 13 metropolitan cities in India have adopted regulations that are aligned with the Euro 4 standards that predate the Euro 5 standards described below under —EMEA Region. These cities also enacted the European OBD requirements in 2013.
EMEA Region
In Europe, emissions are regulated by two different entities: the European Commission, or EC, and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, or UNECE. The EC imposes standardized emission control requirements on vehicles sold in all 28 European Union, or EU, member states, while non-EU countries apply regulations under the UNECE framework. EU Member States can give tax incentives to automobile manufacturers for vehicles that meet emission standards earlier than the compliance date. We must demonstrate that our vehicles will meet emission requirements and receive

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approval from the appropriate authorities before our vehicles can be sold in EU Member States. The regulatory requirements include random testing of newly assembled vehicles and a manufacturer in-use surveillance program. EU and UNECE requirements are equivalent in terms of stringency and implementation.
In 2011, updated standards for exhaust emission by cars and light-duty trucks, called Euro 5, became effective. Impending European emission standards focus particularly on further reducing emissions from diesel vehicles. The new Euro 6 emission levels, effective for new vehicles on September 1, 2014 and will be effective for all vehicles one year later, will require additional technologies and further increase the cost of diesel engines, which currently cost more than gasoline engines, although FCA US's gasoline models are already compliant with Euro 6. To comply with Euro 6 standards, we expect that we will need to implement technologies identical to those being developed to meet U.S. emission standards as described under —NAFTA Region. These new technologies will put additional cost pressures on the already challenging European market for small and mid-size diesel-powered vehicles. Further requirements of Euro 6 have been developed by the EC and are expected to be implemented in 2017. In addition, a new test procedure is under development to directly assess the regulated emissions of light duty vehicles under real driving conditions and is expected to be implemented in 2017.
Automotive Fuel Economy and Greenhouse Gas Emissions
NAFTA Region
Since the enactment of the 1975 Energy Policy and Conservation Act, or EPCA, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, or NHTSA, has established minimum Corporate Average Fuel Economy requirements, or CAFE standards, for fleets of new passenger cars and light-duty trucks sold in the U.S. A manufacturer is subject to civil penalties if it fails to meet the CAFE standard in any model year, after taking into account all available credits for performance in the last three model years or expected performance in the next five model years. Passenger cars imported into the U.S. are averaged separately from those manufactured in the U.S., but all light duty trucks are averaged together.
The 2007 Energy Independence and Security Act revised EPCA and required NHTSA to establish more stringent CAFE standards beginning with the 2011 model year. Among other things, although there will continue to be separate standards for cars and light-duty trucks, standards must be set such that they increase year over year to achieve an industry-wide standard by 2016. These CAFE standards applicable to all manufacturers’ 2011-2016 model year domestic and imported passenger car and light-duty truck fleets are “footprint-based,” meaning that each manufacturer’s fuel economy requirement is dependent on the size of the vehicle, and averaged per the sales volumes and the mix of models in the manufacturer’s fleet for that model year. In order to meet these CAFE standards we will be required to make costly adjustments to our product plans through the 2016 model year.
Because the control of fuel economy also controls Greenhouse Gas, or GHG, emissions, vehicle manufacturers, governmental authorities and environmental groups have sought to harmonize fuel economy regulations to the regulation of GHG vehicle emissions (primarily CO2).
As such, in May 2009, President Obama announced an agreement in principle among EPA, NHTSA, CARB and the automotive industry to establish a coordinated national program to reduce GHGs under the Clean Air Act and improve fuel economy. EPA (under its GHG standards) and NHTSA (under its CAFE standards) subsequently issued a joint final rule to implement a coordinated national GHG and fuel economy program for light-duty vehicles (passenger cars, light-duty trucks, and medium-duty passenger vehicles), establishing standards for model years 2012 through 2016. Although California adopted a more stringent GHG rule under California law, CARB agreed that compliance with the federal rule constitutes compliance with CARB’s rule. Additionally, EPA and NHTSA issued a joint final rule in September 2011 that establishes a similar GHG/fuel economy national program for medium and heavy-duty vehicles, beginning with model year 2014 for GHG standards and model year 2016 for fuel economy standards.
In August 2012, EPA and NHTSA issued a joint final rule to extend the joint GHG/fuel economy national program for light-duty vehicles to model years 2017 through 2025, calling for year-over-year increases in fuel economy until the average fleet-wide standards reach 54.5 mpg by 2025. The rule calls for a “mid-term review” to be completed by 2021 that compels EPA and NHTSA to evaluate the market acceptance of advance vehicle technology, as well as the other assumptions that formed the basis for the stringency of this rule, to determine whether the standards are appropriate. Again, under California law, compliance with the federal GHG rule constitutes compliance with CARB’s GHG rule. The model year federal 2017-2025 GHG rule contains a variety of compliance flexibilities, including incentives for sales of electric vehicles and hybrids, as well as alternative fuels like compressed natural gas or hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, and the use of the ultra-

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low global warming potential refrigerant HFO1234yf. NHTSA’s corresponding CAFE rule imposes new vehicle safety standards in conjunction with the fuel economy standards.
While we believe that our current product plan will meet the applicable federal and California GHG/fuel economy standards established through model year 2016, our compliance depends on our ability to implement design and testing features to generate GHG credits pursuant to the federal GHG rule for model years 2012-2016, and 2017-2025 on a credit carry-forward and carry-back basis. Moreover, based on projected sales volumes and fleet mix, compliance with the standards as proposed for the 2017 through 2025 model years will require us to take further costly actions or to limit the sale of certain of our vehicles in some states. If the vehicles we develop to comply with these requirements are not appealing to consumers or cannot be sold at a competitive price, we may not be able to achieve the vehicle fleet mix, depending on the type and volume of our customers’ purchases, which would enable us to meet the stringent fuel economy/GHG requirements, even though our long-range projection plans out a compliant path.
Canada and Mexico each have adopted GHG regulations that are generally harmonized with the U.S. GHG laws.
LATAM Region
In Brazil, governmental bodies and the Automobile Manufacturers Association have established a voluntary national program for the evaluation and labeling of light passenger and commercial vehicles equipped with internal combustion gasoline engines. This voluntary program, in which we participate, aims to increase vehicle energy efficiency by labeling vehicles with fuel consumption measurements for urban, extra-urban and combined (similar to city and highway mpg measurements in the U.S.) driving conditions.
In October 2012, the Brazilian government issued a decree which provides indirect tax incentives to eligible participant companies that meet certain vehicle energy efficiency targets beginning on January 1, 2013. The level of potential indirect tax incentives varies based on the degree to which and the timing of when targets are met. To the extent targets are not met, penalties and interest are levied and no indirect tax incentives are available.
APAC Region
In China, Phase III of the Corporate Average Fuel Consumption is in place from 2012 to 2015 calendar year. Phase IV, covering 2016-2020 calendar years, provides an industry target of 5.0 liters per 100 kilometers by 2020 and includes single vehicle limits, yearly phase-in coefficients and off-cycle credits. Regulators are considering additional provisions for Phase IV, including penalties. India is also expected to introduce a corporate average fuel economy regulation in 2016.
South Korea and Japan have implemented single vehicle limits, which require each individual vehicle sold in the country to meet a minimum fuel economy. In South Korea, for model year 2015, each vehicle must have a minimum fuel economy of 17 kilometers per liter and a maximum GHG emission standard of 140 grams of CO2 per kilometer, and by model year 2020, each vehicle must have a minimum fuel economy of 24.3 kilometers per liter and maximum emissions of 97 grams of CO2. In Japan, each vehicle must have a minimum fuel economy of 16.8 kilometers per liter by model year 2015 and 20.3 kilometers per liter by model year 2020, with penalties established for non-compliance.
EMEA Region
Legislation governing vehicle GHG emissions as a means of improving automotive fuel economy was passed in 2009 and went into effect in 2012 (generally GHG regulations focus on CO2). Each automobile manufacturer must meet a specific sales-weighted fleet average target for CO2 emissions as related to vehicle weight. The phase in of this fleet-average requirement began in 2012, with full compliance required by 2015. In order to promote the sale of ultra-efficient vehicles, automobile manufacturers that sell vehicles emitting less than 50 grams of CO2 per kilometer earn additional CO2 credits. Furthermore, automobile manufacturers that make use of innovative technologies, or eco-innovations, which improve real-world fuel economy but may not show in the test cycle, such as solar panels or low-emission glass, may gain a credit of up to seven grams of CO2 per kilometer. These credits may not be transferred. The legislation also sets a fleet average target of 95 grams of CO2 per kilometer starting in 2020. We are developing a compliance plan to achieve these required targets.
In 2011, the EU adopted standards for regulating CO2 emissions from light commercial vehicles. This regulation, modeled after CO2 emissions regulation for passenger cars, proposed that new light commercial vehicles meet a fleet average CO2 target of 175 grams of CO2 per kilometer. The new regulation phased in beginning in 2014, with full compliance required

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by 2017. The manufacturer-specific CO2 compliance target will be determined as a function of the weight of the vehicle in running order (including driver). Flexible compliance strategies, such as eco-innovations and super credits, are part of these light commercial vehicle standards as well. Additionally, an EU long-term target for 2020 of 147 grams of CO2 per kilometer has been adopted for light commercial vehicles. We are developing a compliance plan to achieve the required targets.
The regulatory implementation of the 95 grams of CO2 per kilometer (for passenger cars) and 147 grams of CO2 per kilometer (for light commercial vehicles) targets have been approved. The individual manufacturer’s targets will continue to be determined based on average vehicle mass. Other compliance flexibilities have been proposed, adding additional challenges to compliance with the CO2 fleet target. Flexibilities include: phase-in, which, for 2020 only, excludes from the average calculation the five percent of passenger cars with higher fuel consumption; and supercredits and eco-innovations award passenger cars equipped with low emission technologies, challenging automakers to introduce increasingly innovative technologies. In this sense, phase-in makes compliance easier while supercredits and eco-innovations encourage low-emission technologies and vehicles. We are also taking into consideration these challenges while defining our compliance plan.
An EC regulation requiring low-rolling resistance tires, tire pressure monitoring systems and gear shift indicators was adopted in 2011 and became effective in 2012. Further, an additional EC regulation has been adopted that will require labeling of tires for noise and fuel efficiency, affecting vehicles at the point of sale as well as the sale of tires in the aftermarket.
Twenty EU Member States have introduced fuel consumption or CO2-based vehicle taxation schemes. These tax measures are within the jurisdiction of the EU Member States. We are faced with significant challenges with respect to the predictability of future tax laws and differences in tax schemes and thresholds.
In the EMEA region, other countries have introduced specific regulations to reduce vehicle CO2 emissions or fuel consumption, such as Switzerland and Saudi Arabia (SASO).
Vehicle Safety
NAFTA Region
Under U.S. federal law, all vehicles sold in the U.S. must comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, or FMVSS promulgated by NHTSA, and must be certified by their manufacturer as being in compliance with all such standards. In addition, if a vehicle contains a defect that is related to motor vehicle safety or does not comply with an applicable FMVSS, the manufacturer must notify vehicle owners and provide a remedy. Moreover, the Transportation Recall Enhancement, Accountability, and Documentation, or TREAD Act, authorized NHTSA to establish Early Warning Reporting, or EWR, requirements for manufacturers to report all claims which involve one or more fatalities or injuries; all incidents of which the manufacturer receives actual notice which involve fatalities or injuries which are alleged or proven to have been caused by a possible defect in such manufacturer’s motor vehicle or motor vehicle equipment in the U.S.; and all claims involving one or more fatality or in a foreign country when the possible defect is in a motor vehicle or motor vehicle equipment that is identical or substantially similar to a motor vehicle or motor vehicle equipment offered for sale in the U.S., as well as aggregate data on property damage claims from alleged defects in a motor vehicle or in motor vehicle equipment; warranty claims (including good will); consumer complaints and field reports about alleged or possible defects. The rules also require reporting of customer satisfaction campaigns, consumer advisories, recalls, or other activity involving the repair or replacement of motor vehicles or items of motor vehicle equipment, even if not safety related.
The compliance of TREAD Act EWR submissions has received heightened scrutiny recently, and resulted in two manufacturers agreeing to pay substantial civil penalties for deficient TREAD Act EWR submissions. Furthermore, in 2014 both the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives had legislation introduced to enhance the EWR reporting requirements for manufacturers. These bills were not enacted in 2014, but will likely be reconsidered in 2015. Compliance with such additional requirements if enacted into law is likely to be difficult and/or costly.
Several new or amended FMVSSs will take effect during the next few years in certain instances under phase-in schedules that require only a portion of a manufacturer’s fleet to comply in the early years of the phase-in. These include an amendment to the side impact protection requirements that added several new tests and performance requirements (FMVSS No. 214), an amendment to roof crush resistance requirements (FMVSS No. 216), and a new rule for ejection mitigation requirements (FMVSS No. 226). In addition, NHTSA has adopted a new FMVSS that will require all light vehicles to be

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equipped with a rear-mounted video camera and an in-vehicle visual display, and has proposed to mandate the installation of event data recorders. Compliance with these new requirements, as well as other possible prospective NHTSA requirements, is likely to be difficult and/or costly.
NHTSA has published guidelines for driver distraction, and, although not rising to the level of a FMVSS, there may be substantial costs associated with conformance.
At times, organizations like NHTSA or the U.S. Insurance Institute of Highway Safety, or IIHS, issue or reissue safety ratings applicable to vehicles. Changes to these ratings are subject to the agencies’ discretion. IIHS recently introduced new tests and modified its “Top Safety Pick” protocol. Pursuant to the new protocol, many of our vehicles’ existing Top Safety Pick ratings are at risk, and we could incur significant expense to maintain those ratings, or could suffer negative public relations if we do not maintain them.
Finally, NHTSA previously announced that it would issue regulations regarding its Connected Vehicles strategy in 2013. These regulations could subject the Group to substantial costs for vehicle integration components and software and may require auto manufacturers to provide significant funding for a national technology operating system. The regulations may also implicate cybersecurity issues that place additional legal and financial responsibilities on the Group.
LATAM Region
Most countries, including Argentina and Brazil, have adopted standards that follow the European regulations for vehicle safety. In these countries, efforts are under way to further conform regulations to those in place in Europe. See —EMEA Region below.
APAC Region
Many countries in the Asia Pacific region, including China, South Korea, Japan and India, have adopted or are adopting measures for pedestrian protection.
EMEA Region
Vehicles sold in Europe are subject to vehicle safety regulations established by the EU or by individual Member States. In 2009, the EU established a simplified framework for vehicle safety, repealing more than 50 then-existing directives and replacing them with a single regulation aimed at incorporating relevant United Nations, or UN, standards. The incorporation of UN standards commenced in 2012. With respect to regulations on advanced safety systems, the EC now requires new model cars from 2011 on to have electronic stability control systems, required tire pressure monitoring systems beginning in 2012, introduced regulations relating to low-rolling resistance tires in 2013 and require heavy vehicles to have advanced emergency braking systems and lane departure warning systems. From April 2009, the criteria for whole vehicle type approval were extended to cover all new road vehicles, to be phased in over five years depending on the vehicle category. The extension also clarifies the criteria applicable to small commercial vehicles. In the EU, new safety requirements came into force starting in November 2012 for new vehicle types and came into force in 2014 for all new vehicles sold in the EU market. The new mandatory measures include safety belt reminders, electric car safety requirements and easier child seat anchorages.
Industrial Environmental Control
Our operations are subject to a wide range of environmental protection laws including those laws regulating air emissions, water discharges, waste management and environmental clean-up. Certain environmental statutes require that responsible parties fund remediation actions regardless of fault, legality of original disposal or ownership of a disposal site. Under certain circumstances, these laws impose joint and several liability as well as liability for related damages to natural resources. Our Environmental Management System, or EMS, formalizes our commitment to responsible management of the environment. Applied at all plants worldwide, the EMS consists of methodologies and processes designed to prevent or reduce the environmental impact of our manufacturing activities, and our Group Environmental Guidelines establish our policies on environmental targets.
Implementing an EMS compliant with the requirements of the ISO 14001 standard is one of our main objectives. Receipt of an ISO 14001 certification confirms that an organization has a management system capable of keeping the

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environmental impact of its operations under control and that it systematically seeks to improve this system in a way that is coherent, effective and, above all, sustainable. As of December 31, 2014, 139 of our plants, representing 99 percent of our industrial revenues (revenues attributable to the activities and plants that we directly control) and 96 percent of manufacturing employees, were ISO 14001-certified.
Our focus on environmental and sustainability issues is also reflected through our WCM program. During 2014, approximately 3,700 projects were implemented under the WCM program. These projects yielded a significant reduction in energy consumption, which generated cost savings of €44 million and avoided 290,000 tons of CO2 emissions. In 2014, expenditures and investments for the environment amounted to €94 million.
Energy Consumption and Emissions
We are committed to reducing the use of fossil fuels and emission of greenhouse gases in response to increasingly stringent regulations, while at the same time yielding energy-related cost savings. As a result of several energy efficiency initiatives, we achieved a 2.2 percent reduction in total energy consumption from 2010 to 2014. At our vehicle assembly and stamping plants, the energy consumption per vehicle produced decreased 18.5 percent compared with the baseline year of 2010. The related CO2 emissions per vehicle produced decreased 20.5 percent in that same period, falling from 0.616 tons per vehicle produced in 2010 to 0.490 tons per vehicle produced in 2014. In addition, utilization of renewable energy at our plants accounted for 20.4 percent of total electricity consumed in 2014. We also cut CO2 emissions by 2.3 percent over the 2010 baseline year through reductions in energy consumption and use of cleaner sources of energy.
Water Management
Water conservation has become an issue of critical importance. As a result of population growth, water is becoming an increasingly scarce and precious resource. Our Water Management Guidelines establish methodologies and procedures targeted at maximizing water recycling and reuse. In 2014, our plants reused 99.3 percent of water utilized in the manufacturing cycle worldwide, resulting in total water savings in excess of 3 billion cubic meters. Additionally, we reduced water withdrawal by 1.1 percent in 2014 compared to 2013 and by 27.9 percent from 2010 to 2014.
Waste Management
We prioritize preventing the level of waste generated in order to minimize consumption of raw materials. Our Waste Management Guidelines are intended to maximize material reuse and recovery for the production of new base materials. Where neither reuse nor recovery is possible, we seek to dispose of materials using the method having the least environmental impact. In 2014, the total amount of waste generated has decreased by 3.5 percent compared to 2013. Due to the continuous improvement achieved in this area, the percentage of total waste recovered has increased to 80.6 percent and waste sent to landfills has been reduced to 16.9 percent. We seek to reduce the quantities of hazardous waste generated. In 2014, we successfully reduced the total amount of hazardous waste generated by 3.3 percent compared with 2013 and 38.8 percent compared with 2010.
Workplace Health and Safety
We are committed to ensuring a safe and healthy working environment for all our employees, and have also extended these efforts toward suppliers, service providers and customers. Our Occupational Health and Safety Guidelines are certified to the OHSAS 18001 standard. We focus on the following areas: application of uniform procedures for the identification and evaluation of risks, standards of safety and ergonomics in plant and machinery design, promotion of safe behavior through training initiatives and awareness campaigns, assurance of a healthy work environment and promotion of a healthy lifestyle. For several years, we have been tracking and analyzing monthly performance data in each of these areas to ensure that objectives are being met.
As of December 31, 2014, a total of 134 plants (including two operated through joint ventures), accounting for 170,000 employees, had an OHSMS in place and were OHSAS 18001-certified.
Financial Services
Because dealers and retail customers finance the purchase of a significant percentage of the vehicles sold worldwide, the availability and cost of financing is one of the most significant factors affecting vehicle sales volumes. Most dealers use

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wholesale or inventory financing arrangements to purchase vehicles from OEMs in order to maintain necessary vehicle inventory levels. Financial services companies may also provide working capital and real estate loans to facilitate investment in expansion or restructuring of the dealers’ premises. Financing may take various forms, based on the nature of creditor protection provided under local law, but financial institutions tend to focus on maximizing credit protection on any financing originated in conjunction with a vehicle sale. Financing to retail customers takes a number of forms, including simple installment loans and finance leases. These financial products are usually distributed directly by the dealer and have a typical duration of three to five years. OEMs often use retail financing as a promotional tool, including through campaigns offering below market rate financing, known as subvention programs. In such situations, an OEM typically compensates the financial services company up front for the difference between the financial return expected under standard market rates and the rates offered to the customer within the promotional campaign.
Many automakers rely on wholly-owned or controlled finance companies to provide this financing. In other situations, OEMs have relied on joint ventures or commercial relationships with banks and other financial institutions in order to provide access to financing for dealers and retail customers. The model adopted by any particular OEM in a particular market depends upon, among other factors, its sales volumes and the availability of stable and cost-effective funding sources in that market, as well as regulatory requirements.
Financial services companies controlled by OEMs typically receive funding from the OEM’s central treasury or from industrial and commercial operations of the OEM that have excess liquidity, however, they also access other forms of funding available from the banking system in each market, including sales or securitization of receivables either in negotiated sales or through securitization programs. Financial services companies controlled by OEMs compete primarily with banks, independent financial services companies and other financial institutions that offer financing to dealers and retail customers. The long-term profitability of finance companies also depends on the cyclical nature of the industry, interest rate volatility and the ability to access funding on competitive terms and to manage risks with particular reference to credit risks. OEMs within their global strategy aimed to expand their business, may provide access to financial services to their dealers and retail customers, for the financing of parts and accessories, as well as pre-paid service contracts.
Applicability of Banking Law and Regulation to Financial Services
Several of our captive finance companies, each of which provide financial services to our customers, are regulated as financial institutions in the jurisdictions in which they operate. Fidis SpA, Ferrari Financial Services S.p.A and FCA Bank S.p.A., each incorporated in Italy, are subject to Bank of Italy supervision. Ferrari Financial Services AG, incorporated in Germany, is subject to the supervision of BAFIN, the German financial supervisory authority. Banco Fidis S.A., incorporated in Brazil, is subject to Brazilian Central Bank supervision. Fiat Credito Compañia Financiera S.A, incorporated in Argentina, is subject to Argentinian Central Bank supervision. Fiat Automotive Finance Co., Ltd, incorporated in China, is subject to the supervision of the Chinese Banking Regulatory Commission and People’s Bank of China. As a result, those companies are subject to regulation in a wide range of areas including solvency, capital requirements, reporting, customer protection and account administration, among other matters.
Overview of Our Business
We design, engineer, develop and manufacture vehicles, components and production systems worldwide through 165 manufacturing facilities around the world and 85 research and development centers.
Our activities are carried out through seven reportable segments: four regional mass-market vehicle segments, the Ferrari and Maserati luxury brand segments and a global Components segment, as discussed below.
Our four regional mass-market vehicle reportable segments deal with the design, engineering, development, manufacturing, distribution and sale of passenger cars, light commercial vehicles and related parts and services in specific geographic areas: NAFTA (U.S., Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean islands), LATAM (South and Central America), APAC (Asia and Pacific countries) and EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa). We also operate on a global basis in the luxury vehicle and components sectors. In the luxury vehicle sector, we have the operating segments Ferrari and Maserati, while in the components sector we have the operating segments Magneti Marelli, Teksid and Comau. The operating segments in the components sector did not meet the quantitative thresholds required in IFRS 8 – Operating segments for separate disclosure, consequently, based on their characteristics and similarities, they are presented as one reportable segment: “Components”. We support our mass-market vehicle sales with the sale of related service parts and accessories, as well as service contracts, under the Mopar brand name. In support of our vehicle sales efforts, we make available dealer and retail customer financing

34


either through subsidiaries or joint ventures and through strategic commercial arrangements with third party financial institutions.
For our mass-market brands, we have centralized design, engineering, development and manufacturing operations, which allow us to efficiently operate on a global scale.
The following list sets forth our reportable segments:
(i)
NAFTA: our operations to support distribution and sales of mass-market vehicles in the United States, Canada, Mexico and Caribbean islands, the segment that we refer to as NAFTA, primarily through the Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat, Jeep and Ram brands.
(ii)
LATAM: our operations to support the distribution and sale of mass-market vehicles in South and Central America , the segment that we refer to as LATAM, primarily under the Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat, Jeep and Ram brands, with the largest focus of our business in the LATAM segment in Brazil and Argentina.
(iii)
APAC: our operations to support the distribution and sale of mass-market vehicles in the Asia Pacific region (mostly in China, Japan, Australia, South Korea and India), the segment we refer to as APAC, carried out in the region through both subsidiaries and joint ventures, primarily under the Abarth, Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat and Jeep brands.
(iv)
EMEA: our operations to support the distribution and sale of mass-market vehicles in Europe (which includes the 28 members of the European Union and the members of the European Free Trade Association), the Middle East and Africa, the segment we refer to as EMEA, primarily under the Abarth, Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Fiat, Fiat Professional, Jeep and Lancia brand names.
(v)
Ferrari : the design, engineering, development, manufacturing, worldwide distribution and sale of luxury vehicles under the Ferrari brand. On October 29, 2014, we announced our intention to separate Ferrari from FCA. See Item 5A. Operating Results—Recent Developments.
(vi)
Maserati: the design, engineering, development, manufacturing, worldwide distribution and sale of luxury vehicles under the Maserati brand.
(vii)
Components: production and sale of lighting components, engine control units, suspensions, shock absorbers, electronic systems, and exhaust systems and activities in powertrain (engine and transmissions) components, engine control units, plastic molding components and in the after-market carried out under the Magneti Marelli brand name; cast iron components for engines, gearboxes, transmissions and suspension systems, and aluminum cylinder heads under the Teksid brand name; and design and production of industrial automation systems and related products for the automotive industry under the Comau brand name.
The following chart sets forth the vehicle brands we sell in each mass-market regional segment:
 
NAFTA
 
LATAM
 
APAC
 
EMEA 
Abarth

 

 

 
X
Alfa Romeo
X
 

 
X
 
X
Chrysler
X
 
X
 
X
 
X
Dodge
X
 
X
 
X
 

Fiat
X
 
X
 
X
 
X
Fiat Professional

 

 
X
 
X
Jeep
X
 
X
 
X
 
X
Lancia

 

 

 
X
Ram
X
 
X
 

 

______________________
Note: Presence determined by sales in the regional segment, if material, through dealer entities of our dealer network.

35


We also hold interests in companies operating in other activities and businesses that are not considered part of our seven reportable segments. These activities are grouped under “Other Activities,” which primarily consists of companies that provide services, including accounting, payroll, tax, insurance, purchasing, information technology, facility management and security, to our Group as well as CNHI, manage central treasury activities (excluding treasury activities for FCA US, which are handled separately) and operate in media and publishing (La Stampa daily newspaper).
Mass-Market Vehicles
Mass-Market Vehicle Brands
We design, engineer, develop, manufacture, distribute and sell vehicles and service parts under 11 mass-market brands and designations. We believe that we can continue to increase our vehicle sales by building the value of our mass-market brands in particular by ensuring that each of our brands has a clear identity and market focus. In connection with our multi-year effort to clearly define each of our brands’ identities, we have launched several advertising campaigns that have received industry accolades. We are reinforcing our effort to build brand value by ensuring that we introduce new vehicles with individualized characteristics that remain closely aligned with the unique identity of each brand.
•
Abarth: Abarth, named after the company founded by Carlo Abarth in 1949, specializes in performance modification for on-road sports cars since the brand’s re-launch in 2007 through performance modifications on classic Fiat models such as the 500 (including the 2012 launch of the Fiat 500 Abarth) and Punto, as well as limited edition models that combine design elements from luxury brands such as the 695 Edizione Maserati and 695 Tributo Ferrari, for consumers seeking customized vehicles with steering and suspension geared towards racing.
•
Alfa Romeo: Alfa Romeo, founded in 1910, and part of the Group since 1986, is known for a long, sporting tradition and Italian design. Vehicles currently range from the three door premium MiTo and the lightweight sports car, the 4c, to the compact car, the Giulietta. The Alfa Romeo brand is intended to appeal to drivers seeking high-level performance and handling combined with attractive and distinctive appearance.
•
Chrysler: Chrysler, named after the company founded by Walter P. Chrysler in 1925, aims to create vehicles with distinctive design, craftsmanship, intuitive innovation and technology standing as a leader in design, engineering and value, with a range of vehicles from mid-size sedans (Chrysler 200) to full size sedans (Chrysler 300) and minivans (Town & Country).
•
Dodge: With a traditional focus on “muscle car” performance vehicles, the Dodge brand, which began production in 1914, offers a full line of cars, CUVs and minivans, mainly in the mid-size and large size vehicle market, that are sporty, functional and innovative, intended to offer an excellent value for families looking for high performance, dependability and functionality in everyday driving situations.
•
Fiat: Fiat brand cars have been produced since 1899. The brand has historically been strong in Europe and the LATAM region and is currently primarily focused on the mini and small vehicle segments. Current models include the mini-segment 500 and Panda and the small-segment Punto. The brand aims to make cars that are flexible, easy to drive, affordable and energy efficient. The brand reentered the U.S. market in 2011 with the 500 model and, in 2013, the 500L model. Fiat continued expansion of the 500 family, with the introduction of the 500X crossover, which debuted at the Paris Motor Show in October 2014. Fiat also recently launched the new Uno and the new Palio in the LATAM region.
•
Fiat Professional: Fiat Professional, launched in 2007 to replace the “Fiat Veicoli Commerciali” brand, offers light commercial vehicles and MPVs ranging from large vans (capable of carrying up to 4.2 tons) such as the Ducato, to panel vans such as the Doblò and Fiorino for commercial use by small to medium size business and public institutions. Fiat Professional vehicles are often readily fitted as ambulances, tow trucks, school buses and people carriers (especially suitable for narrow streets) and as recreational vehicles such as campers and motor homes, where Fiat Professional is the market leader.
•
Jeep: Jeep, founded in 1941, is a globally recognized brand focused exclusively on the SUV and off-road vehicles market. The Jeep Grand Cherokee is the most awarded SUV ever. The brand’s appeal builds on its heritage associated with the outdoors and adventurous lifestyles, combined with the safety and versatility

36


features of the brand’s modern vehicles. Jeep introduced the all-new 2014 Jeep Cherokee in October 2013 and recently unveiled the Jeep Renegade, a small segment SUV designed in the U.S. and manufactured in Italy. Jeep set an all-time brand record in 2014 with over one million vehicles sold.
•
Lancia: Lancia, founded in 1906, and part of the Fiat Group since 1969, covers the spectrum of small segment cars and is targeted towards the Italian market.
•
Ram: Ram, established as a standalone brand separate from Dodge in 2009, offers a line of full-size trucks, including light- and heavy-duty pick-up trucks such as the Ram 1500 pick-up truck, which recently became the first truck to be named Motor Trend’s “Truck of the Year” for two consecutive years, and cargo vans. By investing substantially in new products, infusing them with great looks, refined interiors, durable engines and features that further enhance their capabilities, we believe Ram has emerged as a market leader in full size pick-up trucks. Ram customers, from half-ton to commercial, have a demanding range of needs and require their vehicles to provide high levels of capability.
We also leverage the more than 75-year history of the Mopar brand to provide a full line of service parts and accessories for our mass-market vehicles worldwide. As of December 31, 2014, we had 50 parts distribution centers throughout the world to support our customer care efforts in each of our regions. Our Mopar brand accessories allow our customers to customize their vehicles by including after-market sales of products from side steps and lift-kits, to graphics packages, such as racing stripes, and custom leather interiors. Further, through the Mopar brand, we offer vehicle service contracts to our retail customers worldwide under the “Mopar Vehicle Protection” brand, with the majority of our service contract sales in 2014 in the U.S. and Europe. Finally, our Mopar customer care initiatives support our vehicle distribution and sales efforts in each of our mass-market segments through 27 call centers located around the world.
Mass-Market Vehicle Design and Manufacturing
Our mass-market brands target different groups of consumers in different regions. Leveraging the potential of our broad portfolio of brands, a key component of our strategic plan is to offer vehicles that appeal to a wide range of consumers located in each regional market. In order to optimize the mix of products we design and manufacture, a number of factors are considered, including:
•
consumer tastes, trends and preferences for certain vehicle types which varies based on geographic region, as well as regulatory requirements affecting our ability to meet consumer demands in those regions;
•
demographic trends, such as age of population and rate of family formation;
•
economic factors that affect preferences for optional features, affordability and fuel efficiency;
•
competitive environment, in terms of quantity and quality of competitors’ vehicles offered within a particular segment;
•
our brand portfolio, as each of our brands targets a different group of consumers, with the goal of avoiding overlapping product offerings or creating internal competition among brands and products;
•
our ability to leverage synergies with existing brands, products, platforms and distribution channels;
•
development of a diversified portfolio of innovative technology solutions for both conventional engine technologies and alternative fuels and propulsion systems; and
•
manufacturing capacity, regulatory requirements and other factors that impact product development, including ability to minimize time-to-market for new vehicle launches.
We also consider these factors in developing a mix of vehicles within each brand, with an additional focus on ensuring that the vehicles we develop further our brand strategy.
We sell mass-market vehicles in all segments of the passenger car and truck markets. Our passenger car product portfolio includes vehicles such as the Fiat 500 (which has sold more than 1 million units globally since its launch in 2007),

37


Alfa Romeo Giulietta, Dodge Charger, Chrysler 200 and Lancia Ypsilon. Our light commercial vehicles include vans such as the Fiat Professional Doblò, Fiat Professional Ducato and Ram ProMaster, and light and heavy-duty pick-up trucks such as the Ram 1500 and 2500/3500. We also sell SUVs and CUVs in a number of vehicle segments, such as the Jeep Grand Cherokee, including expanding into the small SUV segment market with the recently-launched Jeep Renegade. As we seek to broaden our portfolio, we are investing in developing our efforts to become more competitive in the passenger car segment, which includes a significant investment to design, engineer and manufacture the all-new 2015 Chrysler 200.
We are increasingly building our vehicles using common, jointly developed vehicle platforms. For instance, we use the Compact U.S. Wide platform, or CUSW, in the Dodge Dart, which was launched in 2012. The CUSW was used in vehicles made under the Alfa Romeo brand, and has since been used in the Fiat Viaggio (launched in the APAC region in 2012), the all-new Jeep Cherokee (launched in the NAFTA region in 2013), Fiat Ottimo (launched in the APAC region in March 2014) and the all-new 2015 Chrysler 200. From inception through December 31, 2014, more than 850,000 vehicles have been assembled on the CUSW platform.
In order to leverage our brand recognition and names in various regions, we rebadge certain vehicles manufactured and sold in a region under one brand for sale in another region under a different brand based on brand recognition and equity in the particular region. For instance, certain vehicles sold in the NAFTA region under the Chrysler brand are sold in Europe under the Lancia brand, and we sell a rebadged version of the Dodge Journey as the Fiat Freemont in several markets outside the NAFTA region.
We also make use of common technology and parts in our vehicles. For example, we manufacture and use the Pentastar V-6 engine in a number of our vehicles. This engine was named by WardsAuto as one of its “10 Best Engines” for three consecutive years beginning with the 2011 model year for its refinement, power, fuel efficiency and low emissions. Since 2010, we have produced more than four million Pentastar V-6 engines, for use in the Jeep Grand Cherokee, the Ram 1500 and 15 other vehicles. Because we designed this engine with flexible architecture, we can use it in a range of models, potentially with a variety of advanced technologies, such as direct injection or turbocharging.
Our efforts to respond to customer demand have led to a number of important initiatives, including our plans to begin building a Jeep vehicle in China to be sold in China, which will leverage the Jeep brand’s name recognition in that market.
Throughout our manufacturing operations, we have deployed WCM principles. WCM principles were developed by the WCM Association, a non-profit organization dedicated to developing superior manufacturing standards. We are the only OEM that is a member of the WCM Association. WCM fosters a manufacturing culture that targets improved safety, quality and efficiency, as well as the elimination of all types of waste. Unlike some other advanced manufacturing programs, WCM is designed to prioritize issues to focus on those initiatives believed likely to yield the most significant savings and improvements, and to direct resources to those initiatives. Concurrently with our January 2014 acquisition of the remaining 41.5 percent of FCA US owned by the VEBA Trust, FCA US entered into a memorandum of understanding to supplement the existing collective bargaining agreement with the International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America, or the UAW, and provide for a specific commitment to support the implementation of our WCM principles throughout FCA US's manufacturing facilities, to facilitate benchmarking across all of our manufacturing plants and actively assist in the achievement of FCA US's long-term business plan. Beginning in 2006, we engaged key suppliers in the pilot phase of WCM Lite, a program through which suppliers can learn and incorporate WCM principles into their own operations.
Vehicle Sales Overview
We are the seventh largest automotive OEM in the world based on worldwide new vehicle sales for the year ended December 31, 2014. We compete with other large OEMs to attract vehicle sales and market share. Many of these OEMs have more significant financial or operating resources and liquidity at their disposal, which may enable them to invest more heavily on new product designs and manufacturing or in sales incentives.
Our new vehicle sales represent sales of vehicles primarily through dealers and distributors, or in some cases, directly by us, to retail customers and fleet customers. Our sales include mass-market and luxury vehicles manufactured at our plants, as well as vehicles manufactured by our joint ventures and third party contract manufacturers. Our sales figures exclude sales of vehicles that we contract manufactured for other OEMs. While our vehicle sales are illustrative of our competitive position and the demand for our vehicles, sales are not directly correlated to our revenues, cost of sales or other

38


measures of financial performance, as such results are primarily driven by our vehicle shipments to dealers and distributors. For a discussion of our shipments, see Item 5A. Operating Results—Shipment Information. The following table shows our new vehicle sales by geographic market for the periods presented.
 
 
For the Years Ended December 31,
Segment
 
2014
 
2013
 
2012
 
 
Millions of units
NAFTA
 
2.5

 
2.1

 
2.0

LATAM
 
0.8

 
0.9

 
1.0

APAC
 
0.3

 
0.2

 
0.1

EMEA
 
1.2

 
1.1

 
1.2

Total Mass-Market Brands
 
4.8

 
4.4

 
4.3

Ferrari
 
—

 
—

 
—

Maserati
 
0.04

 
0.02

 
0.01

Total Worldwide
 
4.8

 
4.4

 
4.3

NAFTA
NAFTA Sales and Competition
The following table presents our mass-market vehicle sales and market share in the NAFTA segment for the periods presented:
 
 
For the Years Ended December 31,
 
 
2014(1),(2)
 
2013(1),(2)
 
2012(1),(2)
NAFTA
 
Group Sales 
 
Market Share
 
Group Sales
 
Market Share
 
Group Sales
 
Market Share 
 
 
Thousands of units (except percentages)
U.S.
 
2,091

 
12.4
%
 
1,800

 
11.4
%
 
1,652

 
11.2
%
Canada
 
290

 
15.4
%
 
260

 
14.6
%
 
244

 
14.2
%
Mexico
 
78

 
6.7
%
 
87

 
7.9
%
 
93

 
9.1
%
Total
 
2,459

 
12.4
%
 
2,148

 
11.5
%
 
1,989

 
11.3
%
________________________________
(1)
Certain fleet sales that are accounted for as operating leases are included in vehicle sales.
(2)
Our estimated market share data presented are based on management’s estimates of industry sales data, which use certain data provided by third-party sources, including IHS Global Insight and Ward’s Automotive.

39


The following table presents our new vehicle market share information and our principal competitors in the U.S., our largest market in the NAFTA segment:
 
 
For the Years Ended December 31,
U.S.
 
2014
 
2013
 
2012
Automaker
 
Percentage of industry
GM
 
17.4%
 
17.6%
 
17.6%
Ford
 
14.7%
 
15.7%
 
15.2%
Toyota
 
14.1%
 
14.1%
 
14.1%
FCA
 
12.4%
 
11.4%
 
11.2%
Honda
 
9.2%
 
9.6%
 
9.6%
Nissan
 
8.2%
 
7.9%
 
7.7%
Hyundai/Kia
 
7.8%
 
7.9%
 
8.6%
Other
 
16.2%
 
15.9%
 
16.0%
Total
 
100.0%
 
100.0%
 
100.0%
U.S. automotive market sales have steadily improved after a sharp decline from 2007 to 2010. U.S. industry sales, including medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, increased from 10.6 million units in 2009 to 16.8 million units in 2014, an increase of approximately 58.5 percent. Both macroeconomic factors, such as growth in per capita disposable income and improved consumer confidence, and automotive specific factors, such as the increasing age of vehicles in operation, improved consumer access to affordably priced financing and higher prices of used vehicles, contributed to the strong recovery.
Our vehicle line-up in the NAFTA segment leverages the brand recognition of the Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram brands to offer cars, utility vehicles, pick-up trucks and minivans under those brands, as well as vehicles in smaller segments, such as the mini-segment Fiat 500 and the small & compact MPV segment Fiat 500L. With the reintroduction of the Fiat brand in 2011 and the launch of the Dodge Dart in 2012, we now sell vehicles in all vehicle segments. Our vehicle sales and profitability in the NAFTA segment are generally weighted towards larger vehicles such as utility vehicles, trucks and vans, while overall industry sales in the NAFTA segment generally are more evenly weighted between smaller and larger vehicles. In recent years, we have increased our sales of mini, small and compact cars in the NAFTA segment.
NAFTA Distribution
In the NAFTA segment, our vehicles are sold primarily to dealers in our dealer network for sale to retail customers and fleet customers. The following table sets forth the number of independent entities in our dealer and distributor network in the NAFTA segment. The table counts each independent dealer entity, regardless of the number of contracts or points of sale the dealer operates. Where we have a relationship with a general distributor, this table reflects that general distributor as one distribution relationship:
 Distribution Relationships 
 
At December 31,
 
 
2014
 
2013
 
2012
 NAFTA
 
3,251
 
3,204
 
3,156
In the NAFTA segment, fleet sales in the commercial channel are typically more profitable than sales in the government and daily rental channels since they more often involve customized vehicles with more optional features and accessories; however, vehicle orders in the commercial channel are usually smaller in size than the orders made in the daily rental channel. Fleet sales in the government channel are generally more profitable than fleet sales in the daily rental channel primarily due to the mix of products included in each respective channel. Rental car companies, for instance, place larger orders of small and mid-sized cars and minivans with minimal options, while sales in the government channel often involve a higher mix of relatively more profitable vehicles such as pick-up trucks, minivans and large cars with more options.

40


NAFTA Segment Mass-Market Dealer and Customer Financing
In the NAFTA segment, we do not have a captive finance company or joint venture and instead rely upon independent financial service providers, primarily our strategic relationship with Santander Consumer USA Inc., or SCUSA, to provide financing for dealers and retail customers in the U.S. Prior to the agreement with SCUSA, we principally relied on Ally Financial Inc., or Ally, for dealer and retail financing and support. Additionally, we have arrangements with a number of financial institutions to provide a variety of dealer and retail customer financing programs in Canada. There are no formal retail financing arrangements in Mexico at this time, although CF Credit Services, S.A. de C.V. SOFOM E.R., or CF Credit, provides nearly all dealer financing and about half of all retail financing of our products in Mexico.
In February 2013, we entered into a private label financing agreement with SCUSA, or the SCUSA Agreement, under which SCUSA provides a wide range of wholesale and retail financial services to our dealers and retail customers in the U.S., under the Chrysler Capital brand name. The financial services include credit lines to finance dealers’ acquisition of vehicles and other products that we sell or distribute, retail loans and leases to finance retail customer acquisitions of new and used vehicles at dealerships, financing for commercial and fleet customers, and ancillary services. In addition, SCUSA offers dealers construction loans, real estate loans, working capital loans and revolving lines of credit.
The SCUSA Agreement has a ten year term from February 2013, subject to early termination in certain circumstances, including the failure by a party to comply with certain of its ongoing obligations under the SCUSA Agreement. In accordance with the terms of the agreement, SCUSA provided us an upfront, nonrefundable payment in May 2013 which is being amortized over ten years.
Under the SCUSA Agreement, SCUSA has certain rights, including limited exclusivity to participate in specified minimum percentages of certain retail financing rate subvention programs. SCUSA’s exclusivity rights are subject to SCUSA maintaining price competitiveness based on market benchmark rates to be determined through a steering committee process as well as minimum approval rates.
The SCUSA Agreement replaced an auto finance relationship with Ally, which was terminated in 2013. As of December 31, 2014, Ally was providing wholesale lines of credit to approximately 39 percent of our dealers in the U.S. For the year ended December 31, 2014, we estimate that approximately 82 percent of the vehicles purchased by our U.S. retail customers were financed or leased through our dealer network, of which approximately 48 percent were financed or leased through Ally and SCUSA.
LATAM
LATAM Sales and Competition
The following table presents our mass-market vehicle sales and market share in the LATAM segment for the periods presented:
 
 
For the Years Ended December 31,
 
 
2014(1)
 
2013(1)
 
2012(1)
LATAM
 
Group Sales 
 
Market Share
 
Group Sales 
 
Market Share 
 
Group Sales 
 
Market Share 
 
 
Thousands of units (except percentages)
Brazil
 
706
 
21.2%
 
771
 
21.5%
 
845
 
23.3%
Argentina
 
88
 
13.4%
 
111
 
12.0%
 
85
 
10.6%
Other LATAM
 
37
 
3.0%
 
51
 
3.6%
 
51
 
3.7%
Total
 
830
 
16.0%
 
933
 
15.8%
 
982
 
16.8%
 
______________________________
(1)
Our estimated market share data presented are based on management’s estimates of industry sales data, which use certain data provided by third-party sources, including IHS Global Insight, National Organization of Automotive Vehicles Distribution and Association of Automotive Producers.

41


The following table presents our mass-market vehicle market share information and our principal competitors in Brazil, our largest market in the LATAM segment:
Brazil
 
For the Years Ended December 31,
 
 
2014(1)
 
2013(1)
 
2012(1)
Automaker
 
Percentage of industry
FCA
 
21.2%
 
21.5%
 
23.3%
Volkswagen (*)
 
17.7%
 
18.8%
 
21.2%
GM
 
17.4%
 
18.1%
 
17.7%
Ford
 
9.2%
 
9.4%
 
8.9%
Other
 
34.5%
 
32.2%
 
28.9%
Total
 
100.0%
 
100.0%
 
100.0%
__________________________________
(1)
Our estimated market share data presented are based on management’s estimates of industry sales data, which use certain data provided by third-party sources, including IHS Global Insight, National Organization of Automotive Vehicles Distribution and Association of Automotive Producers.
(*)
Including Audi.
The LATAM segment automotive industry decreased 12.5 percent from 2013, to 5.2 million vehicles (cars and light commercial vehicles) in 2014. The decrease was mainly due to Brazil and Argentina with 6.9 percent and 28.7 percent decreases, respectively. Over the past four years industry sales in the LATAM segment grew by 1.4 percent, mainly due to Argentina and Other countries while Brazilian market remained substantially stable driven by economic factors such as greater development of gross domestic product, increased access to credit facilities and incentives adopted by Brazil in 2009 and 2012.
Our vehicle sales in the LATAM segment leverage the name recognition of Fiat and the relatively urban population of countries like Brazil to offer Fiat brand mini and small vehicles in our key markets in the LATAM segment. We are the leading automaker in Brazil, due in large part to our market leadership in the mini and small segments (which represent almost 60 percent of Brazilian market vehicle sales). Fiat also leads the pickup truck market in Brazil (with the Fiat Strada, 56.2 percent of segment share), although this segment is small as a percentage of total industry and compared to other countries in the LATAM segment.
In Brazil, the automotive industry benefited from tax incentives in 2012, which helped our strong performance in that year as we were able to leverage our operational flexibility in responding to the sharp increase in market demand. However, tax incentives have limited the ability of OEMs to recover cost increases associated with inflation by increasing prices, a problem that has been exacerbated by the weakening of the Brazilian Real. Increasing competition over the past several years has further reduced our overall profitability in the region. Import restrictions in Brazil have also limited our ability to bring new vehicles to Brazil. We plan to start production in our new assembly plant in Brazil in 2015, which we believe will enhance our ability to introduce new locally-manufactured vehicles that are not subject to such restrictions.

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LATAM Distribution
The following table presents the number of independent entities in our dealer and distributor network. In the LATAM segment, we generally enter into multiple dealer agreements with a single dealer, covering one or more points of sale. Outside Brazil and Argentina, our major markets, we distribute our vehicles mainly through general distributors and their dealer networks. This table counts each independent dealer entity, regardless of the number of contracts or points of sale the dealer operates. Where we have relationships with a general distributor in a particular market, this table reflects that general distributor as one distribution relationship:
 Distribution Relationships 
 
At December 31,
 
 
2014
 
2013
 
2012
 LATAM
 
441
 
450
 
436
LATAM Dealer and Customer Financing
In the LATAM segment, we provide access to dealer and retail customer financing through both wholly-owned captive finance companies and through strategic relationships with financial institutions.
We have two wholly-owned captive finance companies in the LATAM segment: Banco Fidis S.A. in Brazil and Fiat Credito Compañia Financiera S.A. in Argentina. These captive finance companies offer dealer and retail customer financing. In addition, in Brazil we have a significant commercial partnership with Banco Itaù, a leading vehicle retail financing company in Brazil, to provide financing to retail customers purchasing Fiat brand vehicles. This partnership was renewed in August 2013 for a ten-year term ending in 2023. Under this agreement, Banco Itaù has exclusivity on our promotional campaigns and preferential rights on non-promotional financing. We receive commissions in connection with each vehicle financing above a certain threshold. This agreement applies only to our retail customers purchasing Fiat branded vehicles and excludes Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge and Ram brand vehicles, which are directly financed by Banco Fidis S.A.

43


APAC Vehicle Sales, Competition and Distribution
APAC Sales and Competition
The following table presents our vehicle sales in the APAC segment for the periods presented:
 
 
For the Years Ended December 31,
 
 
2014(1),(2)
 
2013(1),(2)
 
2012(1),(2)
APAC
 
Group Sales
 
Market Share
 
Group Sales 
 
Market Share 
 
Group Sales 
 
Market Share
 
 
Thousands of units (except percentages)
China
 
182

 
1.0%
 
129

 
0.8%
 
57

 
0.4%
India(3)   
 
12

 
0.5%
 
10

 
0.4%
 
11

 
0.4%
Australia
 
44

 
4.0%
 
34

 
3.1%
 
23

 
2.1%
Japan
 
18

 
0.4%
 
16

 
0.4%
 
15

 
0.3%
South Korea
 
6

 
0.5%
 
5

 
0.4%
 
4

 
0.3%
APAC 5 major Markets
 
262

 
0.9%
 
194

 
0.7%
 
109

 
0.5%
Other APAC
 
5

 
—
 
6

 
—
 
6

 
—
Total
 
267

 
—
 
199

 
—
 
115

 
—
__________________________________
(1)
Our estimated market share data presented are based on management’s estimates of industry sales data, which use certain data provided by third-party sources, including R.L. Polk Data, and National Automobile Manufacturing Associations.
(2)
Sales data include vehicles sold by certain of our joint ventures within the Chinese and, until 2012, the Indian market. Beginning in 2013, we took over the distribution from the joint venture partner and we started distributing vehicles in India through wholly-owned subsidiaries.
(3)
India market share is based on wholesale volumes.
The automotive industry in the APAC segment has shown strong year-over-year growth. Industry sales in the five key markets (China, India, Japan, Australia and South Korea) where we compete increased from 16.3 million in 2009 to 28.2 million in 2014, a compound annual growth rate, or CAGR, of approximately 12 percent. Industry sales in the five key markets for 2013, 2012, 2011 and 2010 were 26.1 million, 23.8 million, 21.3 million and 20.3 million, respectively. China was the driving force behind the significant growth in the region. China’s industry volume increased from 8.5 million passenger cars in 2009 to 18.4 million passenger cars in 2014, representing a CAGR of 17 percent. Industry volumes in China for 2013, 2012, 2011 and 2010 were 16.7 million, 14.2 million, 13.1 million and 11.5 million passenger cars, respectively. In 2014, the five key markets grew by 8 percent over 2013, primarily driven by a 10 percent increase in China.
We sell a range of vehicles in the APAC segment, including small and compact cars and utility vehicles. Although our smallest mass-market segment by vehicle sales, we believe the APAC segment represents a significant growth opportunity and we have invested in building relationships with key joint venture partners in China and India in order to increase our presence in the region. In 2010, the demand for mid-size vehicles in China led us to begin a joint venture with Guangzhou Automobile Group Co. for the production of Fiat brand passenger cars. Currently the Fiat Ottimo and Fiat Viaggio, along with our other Fiat-branded vehicles imported from Europe and North America, are distributed through the joint venture’s local dealer network in that country. In addition, in 2014, we and GAC group announced that together we will produce Jeep and Chrysler branded vehicles in China. We also work with a joint venture partner in India to manufacture Fiat branded vehicles that we distribute through our wholly-owned subsidiary. In other parts of the APAC segment, we distribute vehicles that we manufacture in the U.S. and Europe through our dealers and distributors.

44


APAC Distribution
In the key markets in the APAC segment (China, Australia, India, Japan and South Korea), we sell our vehicles through a wholly-owned subsidiary or through our joint ventures to local independent dealers. In other markets where we do not have a substantial presence, we have agreements with general distributors for the distribution of our vehicles through their networks. The following table presents the number of independent entities in our dealer and distributor network. The table counts each independent dealer entity, regardless of the number of contracts or points of sale the dealer operates. Where we have relationships with a general distributor in a particular market, this table reflects that general distributor as one distribution relationship:
 Distribution Relationships 
 
At December 31,
 
 
2014
 
2013
 
2012
 APAC
 
729
 
671
 
470
APAC Dealer and Customer Financing
In the APAC segment, we operate a wholly-owned captive finance company, Fiat Automotive Finance Co., Ltd, which supports, on a non-exclusive basis, our sales activities in China through dealer and retail customer financing and provides similar services to dealers and customers of CNHI. Vendor programs are also in place with different financial partners in India, Japan, South Korea and Australia.
EMEA Vehicle Sales, Competition and Distribution
EMEA Sales and Competition
The following table presents our passenger car and light commercial vehicle sales in the EMEA segment for the periods presented:
 
 
For the Years Ended December 31,
 
 
2014(1),(2),(3)
 
2013(1),(2),(3)
 
2012(1),(2),(3)
EMEA
Passenger Cars
 
Group Sales 
 
Market Share 
 
Group Sales 
 
Market Share
 
Group Sales 
 
Market Share 
 
 
Thousands of units (except percentages)
Italy
 
377
 
27.7%
 
374
 
28.7%
 
415
 
29.6%
Germany
 
84
 
2.8%
 
80
 
2.7%
 
90
 
2.9%
UK
 
80
 
3.2%
 
72
 
3.2%
 
64
 
3.1%
France
 
62
 
3.5%
 
62
 
3.5%
 
62
 
3.3%
Spain
 
36
 
4.3%
 
27
 
3.7%
 
23
 
3.3%
Other Europe
 
121
 
3.5%
 
123
 
3.7%
 
141
 
4.1%
Europe*
 
760
 
5.8%
 
738
 
6.0%
 
795
 
6.3%
Other EMEA**
 
126
 
—
 
137
 
—
 
122
 
—
Total
 
886
 
—
 
875
 
—
 
917
 
—
_____________________________
*
28 members of the European Union and members of the European Free Trade Association (other than Italy, Germany, UK, France, and Spain).
**
Market share not included in Other EMEA because our presence is less than one percent.
(1)
Certain fleet sales accounted for as operating leases are included in vehicle sales.
(2)
Our estimated market share data is presented based on the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) Registration Databases and national Registration Offices databases.
(3)
Sale data includes vehicle sales by our joint venture in Turkey.

45


 
 
For the Years Ended December 31,
 
 
2014(1),(2),(3)
 
2013(1),(2),(3)
 
2012(1),(2),(3)
EMEA
Light Commercial
Vehicles
 
Group Sales 
 
Market Share
 
Group Sales 
 
Market Share 
 
Group Sales 
 
Market Share
 
 
Thousands of units (except percentages)
Europe*
 
197
 
11.5%
 
182
 
11.6%
 
185
 
11.7%
Other EMEA**
 
68
 
—
 
68
 
—
 
72
 
—
Total
 
265
 
—
 
250
 
—
 
257
 
—
______________________________
*
28 members of the European Union and members of the European Free Trade Association.
**
Market share not included in Other EMEA because our presence is less than one percent.
(1)
Certain fleet sales accounted for as operating leases are included in vehicle sales.
(2)
Our estimated market share data is presented based on the national Registration Offices databases on products categorized under light commercial vehicles.
(3)
Sale data includes vehicle sales by our joint venture in Turkey.
The following table summarizes our new vehicle market share information and our principal competitors in Europe, our largest market in the EMEA segment:
 
 
For the Years Ended December 31,
Europe-Passenger Cars
 
2014(*)
 
2013(*)
 
2012 (**)
Automaker
 
Percentage of industry
Volkswagen
 
25.5
%
 
25.1
%
 
24.8
%
PSA
 
10.7
%
 
10.9
%
 
11.7
%
Renault
 
9.5
%
 
8.9
%
 
8.4
%
GM
 
7.1
%
 
7.9
%
 
8.1
%
Ford
 
7.3
%
 
7.3
%
 
7.5
%
BMW
 
6.4
%
 
6.4
%
 
6.4
%
FCA
 
5.9
%
 
6.0
%
 
6.4
%
Daimler
 
5.4
%
 
5.5
%
 
5.2
%
Toyota
 
4.3
%
 
4.4
%
 
4.3
%
Other
 
17.9
%
 
17.6
%
 
17.2
%
Total
 
100.0
%
 
100.0
%
 
100.0
%
 
______________________________
*
Including all 28 European Union (EU) Member States and the 4 European Free Trade Association, or EFTA member states.
**
Including all 27 European Union (EU) Member States and the 4 European Free Trade Association, or EFTA member states.
(1)
Market share data is presented based on the European Automobile Manufacturers Association, or ACEA Registration Databases, which also includes Ferrari and Maserati within our Group.
In 2014, there was an improvement in passenger car industry volumes in Europe (EU28+EFTA), with unit sales increasing 5.4 percent over the prior year to a total of 13 million, although still well below the pre-crisis level of approximately 16 million units in 2007. As a result of production over-capacity, however, significant price competition among automotive OEMs continues to be a factor, particularly in the small and mid-size segments. Volumes were also higher in the light commercial vehicle, or LCV, segment, with industry sales up 9.6 percent year-over-year to about 1.72 million units, following two consecutive years with industry volumes stable at around 1.6 million units. In 2014, Fiat Professional, FCA’s LCV brand in Europe, introduced the sixth generation of its highly successful Fiat Ducato, which has sold 2.7 million units since the nameplate was launched in 1981. The Ducato continued its strong performance in 2014, taking the lead in the OEM ranking in its segment in Europe for the first year ever, and registering a further increase in market share - which has grown steadily since 2008 - to an all-time record of 20.9 percent. Fiat Professional also operates in Russia through wholly-owned subsidiaries. We also operate through joint ventures and other cooperation agreements.
During the year, FCA maintained its focus on production of a select number of models as it implemented a strategic re-focus and realignment of the Fiat brand. Central to this strategy has been the expansion of the Fiat 500 family and other

46


selected economy models. This has resulted in FCA achieving a leading position in the “mini” and “compact MPV” segments in Europe. We continued expansion of the 500 family in 2014, with the introduction of the 500X crossover, which was debuted at the Paris Motor Show in October. Building on the history of Alfa Romeo, Fiat and Lancia, we sell mini, small and compact passenger cars in the EMEA region under these brands. We are also leveraging Jeep’s global brand recognition to offer Jeep brand SUVs, all of which the EMEA segment categorizes as passenger cars. In September 2014, the Group launched the Jeep Renegade, FCA’s first model designed in the U.S. and produced in Italy. In addition, we sell LCVs under the Fiat Professional brand, which mainly include half-ton pick-up trucks and commercial vans.
In Europe, FCA’s sales are largely weighted to passenger cars, with approximately 53 percent of our total vehicle sales in Europe in 2014 in the small car segment, reflecting demand for smaller vehicles driven by driving conditions prevalent in many European cities and stringent environmental regulations.
EMEA Distribution
In certain markets, such as Europe, our relationship with individual dealer entities can be represented by a number of contracts (typically, we enter into one agreement per brand of vehicles to be sold), and the dealer can sell those vehicles through one or more points of sale. In those markets, points of sale tend to be physically small and carry limited inventory.
In Europe, we sell our vehicles directly to independent and our own dealer entities located in most European markets. In other markets in the EMEA segment in which we do not have a substantial presence, we have agreements with general distributors for the distribution of our vehicles through their existing distribution networks.
The following table summarizes the number of independent entities in our dealer and distributor network. The table counts each independent dealer entity, regardless of the number of contracts or points of sale the dealer operates. Where we have relationships with a general distributor in a particular market, this table reflects that general distributor as one distribution relationship:
Distribution Relationships 
 
At December 31,
 
 
2014
 
2013
 
2012
EMEA
 
2,143
 
2,300
 
2,495
EMEA Dealer and Customer Financing
In the EMEA segment, dealer and retail customer financing is primarily managed by FCA Bank, our 50/50 joint venture with Crédit Agricole Consumer Finance S.A., or Crédit Agricole. FCA Bank operates in 14 European countries including Italy, France, Germany, the U.K. and Spain. We began this joint venture in 2007, and in July 2013, we reached an agreement with Crédit Agricole to extend its term through December 31, 2021. Under the agreement, FCA Bank will continue to benefit from the financial support of the Crédit Agricole Group while continuing to strengthen its position as an active player in the securitization and debt markets. FCA Bank provides retail and dealer financing to support our mass-market brands and Maserati, as well as certain other OEMs.
Fidis S.p.A., our wholly-owned captive finance company, provides dealer and other wholesale customer financing in certain markets in the EMEA segment in which FCA Bank does not operate. We also operate a joint venture providing financial services to retail customers in Turkey, and operate vendor programs with bank partners in other markets to provide access to financing in those markets.
Ferrari
Ferrari, a racing and sports car manufacturer founded in 1929 by Enzo Ferrari, began producing street cars in 1947, beginning with the 125 S. Fiat acquired 50 percent of Ferrari in 1969, then expanding its stake to the current 90 percent. Scuderia Ferrari, the brand’s racing team division, has achieved enormous success, winning numerous Formula One titles, including 16 constructors’ championships and 15 drivers’ championships. The street car division currently produces vehicles ranging from sports cars (such as the 458 Italia, the 458 Spider and the F12 Berlinetta), to the gran turismo models (such as the California and the FF), designed for long-distance, high-speed journeys. We believe that Ferrari customers are seeking the state-of-the-art in luxury sports cars, with a special focus on the very best Italian design and craftsmanship, along with

47


unparalleled performance both on the track and on the road. Ferrari recently presented the California T, which brings turbocharging back to its street cars for the first time since 1992. We also launched the exclusive limited edition LaFerrari, which attracted orders for more than the production run before its official debut at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show. We believe LaFerrari sets a new benchmark for the sector, incorporating the latest technological innovations that Ferrari will apply to future models. On October 29, 2014, we announced our intention to separate Ferrari from FCA through a public offering of a portion of our shareholding in Ferrari from our current shareholding and a spin-off of our remaining equity interest in Ferrari to our shareholders. See Item 5A. Operating Results—Recent Developments.
The following table shows the distribution of our Ferrari sales by geographic regions as a percentage of total sales for each year ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012:

As a percentage of 2014 sales
As a percentage of 2013 sales
As a percentage of 2012 sales
Europe Top 5 countries(1)
30%
30%
34%
U.S.
30%
29%
25%
Japan
6%
5%
5%
China, Hong Kong & Taiwan
9%
10%
10%
Other countries
25%
26%
26%
Total
100%
100%
100%
_____________________________
(1)
Europe Top 5 Countries by sales, includes Italy, UK, Germany, France and Switzerland.
In 2014, a total of 7.2 thousand Ferrari street cars were sold to retail customers, growth driven by the performance of the limited edition LaFerrari. Ferrari experienced solid growth in North America, Ferrari’s largest market, Japan and China, with European market substantially flat year over year.
Ferrari vehicles are designed to maintain exclusivity and appeal to a customer looking for such rare vehicles, and as a result, we deliberately limit the number of Ferrari vehicles produced each year in order to preserve the exclusivity of the brand. Our efforts in designing, engineering and manufacturing our luxury vehicles focus on use of state-of-the-art technology and luxury finishes to appeal to our luxury vehicle customers.
We sell our Ferrari vehicles through a worldwide distribution network of approximately 180 Ferrari dealers as of December 31, 2014, that is separate from our mass-market distribution network.
Ferrari Financial Services, a financial services company 90 percent owned by Ferrari, offers financial services for the purchase of all types of Ferrari vehicles. Ferrari Financial Services operates in Ferrari’s major markets, including, Germany, U.K., France, Belgium, Switzerland, Italy, U.S. and Japan.
Maserati
Maserati, a luxury vehicle manufacturer founded in 1914, became part of our business in 1993. We believe that Maserati customers typically seek a combination of style, both in high quality interiors and external design, performance, sports handling and comfort that come with a top of the line luxury vehicle. In 2013 the Maserati brand has been re-launched by the introduction of the Quattroporte and Ghibli (luxury four door sedans), the first addressed to the flagship large sedan segment and the second designed to address the luxury full-size sedan vehicle segment. Maserati’s current vehicles also include the GranTurismo, the brand’s first modern two door, four seat coupe, also available in a convertible version. In 2014 we showcased the Ermenegildo Zegna version of the Quattroporte, which will be produced in a limited run of 100 vehicles to commemorate the brand’s 100th anniversary. In addition, we expect to launch a luxury SUV in 2016. This luxury SUV has been designed on the same platform as the Quattroporte and the Ghibli and will complete the Maserati’s product portfolio with full coverage of the global luxury vehicle market. Further, we recently presented a sports car concept (the Maserati Alfieri) expected to be put into production in the coming years.

48


The following tables show the distribution of Maserati sales by geographic regions as a percentage of total sales for each year ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012:
 
As a percentage of 2014 sales
As a percentage of 2013 sales
As a percentage of 2012 sales
Europe Top 4 countries(1)
13%
9%
12%
U.S.
39%
41%
43%
Japan
4%
4%
5%
China
25%
26%
15%
Other countries
19%
20%
25%
Total
100%
100%
100%
_____________________________
(1)
Europe Top 4 Countries by sales, includes Italy, UK, Germany and Switzerland.
In 2014, a total of 32.8 thousand Maserati vehicles were sold to retail customers, an increase of 183 percent compared to 2013, on the back of continued strong performance for the Quattroporte and Ghibli, resulting in an increase of approximately 170 percent in the U.S., the brand’s number one market, and in China, the brand’s second largest market, combined with a fourfold increase in Europe.
We sell our Maserati vehicles through a worldwide distribution network of approximately 364 Maserati dealers as of December 31, 2014, that is separate from our mass-market distribution network.
FCA Bank provides access to retail customer financing for Maserati brand vehicles in Europe. In other regions, we rely on local agreements with financial services providers for financing of Maserati brand vehicles.
Components Segment
We sell components and production systems under the following brands:
Magneti Marelli. Founded in 1919 as a joint venture between Fiat and Ercole Marelli, Magneti Marelli is an international leader in the design and production of state-of-the-art automotive systems and components. Through Magneti Marelli, we design and manufacture automotive lighting systems, powertrain (engines and transmissions) components and engine control unit, electronic systems, suspension systems and exhaust systems, and plastic components and modules. The Automotive Lighting business line, headquartered in Reutlingen, Germany, is dedicated to the development, production and sale of automotive exterior lighting products for all major OEMs worldwide. The Powertrain business line is dedicated to the production of engine and transmission components for automobiles, motorbikes and light commercial vehicles and has a global presence due to its own research and development centers, applied research centers and production plants. The Electronic Systems business line provides know-how in the development and production of hardware and software in mechatronics, instrument clusters, telematics and satellite navigation. We also provide aftermarket parts and services and operate in the motorsport business, in particular electronic and electro-mechanical systems for championship motorsport racing, under the Magneti Marelli brand. We believe the Magneti Marelli brand is characterized by key technologies available to its final customers at a competitive price compared to other component manufacturers, with high quality and competitive offerings, technology and flexibility.
Magneti Marelli provides wide-ranging expertise in electronics, through a process of ongoing innovation and environmental sustainability in order to develop intelligent systems for active and passive vehicle safety, onboard comfort and powertrain technologies. With 89 production facilities (including joint ventures) and 39 research and development centers, Magneti Marelli has a presence in 19 countries and supplies all the major OEMs across the globe. In several countries, Magneti Marelli’s activities are carried out through a number of joint ventures with local partners with the goal of entering more easily into new markets by leveraging the partner’s local relationships. Thirty-five percent of Magneti Marelli’s 2014 revenue is derived from sales to the Group.
Teksid. Originating from Fiat’s 1917 acquisition of Ferriere Piemontesi, the Teksid brand was established in 1978 and today is specialized in grey and nodular iron castings production. Teksid produces engine blocks, cylinder heads, engine components, transmission parts, gearboxes and suspensions. Teksid Aluminum, produces, aluminum cylinder heads. Thirty-nine percent of Teksid’s 2014 revenue is derived from sales to the Group.

49


Comau. Founded in 1973, Comau, which originally derived its name from the acronyms of COnsorzio MAcchine Utensili (consortium of machine tools), produces advanced manufacturing systems through an international network. Comau operates primarily in the field of integrated automation technology, delivering advanced turnkey systems to its customers. Through Comau, we develop and sell a wide range of industrial applications, including robotics, while we provide support service and training to customers. Comau’s main activities include powertrain metalcutting systems ; mechanical assembly systems and testing; innovative and high performance body welding and assembly systems; and robotics. Comau’s automation technology is used in a variety of industries, including automotive and aerospace. Comau also provides maintenance service in Latin America. Twenty-six percent of Comau’s 2014 revenue is derived from sales to the Group.
Supply of Raw Materials, Parts and Components
We purchase a variety of components (including mechanical, steel, electrical and electronic, plastic components as well as castings and tires), raw materials (steel, rubber, aluminum, resin, copper, lead, and precious metals including platinum, palladium and rhodium), supplies, utilities, logistics and other services from numerous suppliers which we use to manufacture our vehicles, parts and accessories. These purchases accounted for approximately 80 percent of total cost of sales for each of the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012. Fluctuations in cost of sales are primarily related to the number of vehicles we produce and sell along with shifts in vehicle mix, as newer models of vehicles generally have more technologically advanced components and enhancements and therefore additional costs per unit. The cost of sales could also be affected, to a lesser extent, by fluctuations of certain raw material prices. The cost of raw materials comprised approximately 15 percent of the previously described total purchases for each of the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively, while the remaining portion of purchases is made of components, transformation and overhead costs.
Our focus on quality improvement, cost reduction, product innovation and production flexibility requires us to rely upon suppliers with a focus on quality and the ability to provide cost reductions. We value our relationships with suppliers, and in recent years, we have worked to establish closer ties with a significantly reduced number of suppliers by selecting those that enjoy a leading position in the relevant markets. In addition, we source some of the parts and components for our vehicles internally from Magneti Marelli and Teksid. Although we have not experienced any major loss of production as a result of material or parts shortages in recent years, because we, like most of our competitors, regularly source some of our systems, components, parts, equipment and tooling from a single provider or limited number of providers, we are at risk of production delays and lost production should any supplier fail to deliver goods and services on time.
Supply of raw materials, parts and components may also be disrupted or interrupted by natural disasters. In such circumstances, we work proactively with our suppliers to identify material and part shortages and take steps to mitigate their impact by deploying additional personnel, accessing alternative sources of supply and managing our production schedules. We also continue to refine our processes to identify emerging capacity constraints in the supplier tiers given the ramp up in manufacturing volumes to meet our volume targets. Further, we continuously monitor supplier performance according to key metrics such as part quality, delivery performance and financial solvency to proactively manage risks in the event of a downturn affecting particular suppliers.
Cyclical Nature of the Business
As is typical in the automotive industry, our vehicle sales are highly sensitive to general economic conditions, availability of low interest rate vehicle financing for dealers and retail customers and other external factors, including fuel prices, and as a result may vary substantially from quarter to quarter and year to year. Retail consumers tend to delay the purchase of a new vehicle when disposable income and consumer confidence are low. In addition, our vehicle production volumes and related revenues may vary from month to month, sometimes due to plant shutdowns, which may occur for several reasons, including production changes from one model year to the next. Plant shutdowns, whether associated with model year changeovers or other factors, such as temporary supplier interruptions, can have a negative impact on our revenues and a negative impact on our working capital as we continue to pay suppliers under standard contract terms while we do not receive proceeds from vehicle sales. Refer to Item 5B. Liquidity and Capital Resources—Liquidity Overview for additional information.
Legal Proceedings
As a global group with a diverse business portfolio, the Group is exposed to numerous legal risks, particularly in the areas of product liability, competition and antitrust law, environmental risks and tax matters, dealer and supplier relationships and intellectual property rights. Various legal proceedings, claims and governmental investigations are pending against us on

50


a wide range of topics, including vehicle safety; emissions and fuel economy; dealer, supplier and other contractual relationships; intellectual property rights; product warranties and environmental matters. Some of these proceedings allege defects in specific component parts or systems (including air bags, seats, seat belts, brakes, ball joints, transmissions, engines and fuel systems) in various vehicle models or allege general design defects relating to vehicle handling and stability, sudden unintended movement or crashworthiness. These proceedings seek recovery for damage to property, personal injuries or wrongful death, and in some cases include a claim for exemplary or punitive damages. Adverse decisions in one or more of these proceedings could require us to pay substantial damages, or undertake service actions, recall campaigns or other costly actions.
C. Organizational Structure
Principal Subsidiaries
The following table sets forth a list of the principal subsidiaries that are directly or indirectly controlled by FCA. Companies in the list are grouped according to each reportable segment.
For each company, the following information is provided: name, country of incorporation or residence, and the percentage interest held by FCA and its subsidiaries at December 31, 2014.
Principal Subsidiaries At December 31, 2014:
Name 
 
Country 
 
Percentage
Interest Held 
NAFTA Segment
 
 
 
 
FCA US LLC(1)
 
USA (Delaware)
 
100.00(2)
FCA Canada Inc. (formerly known as Chrysler Canada Inc.)
 
Canada
 
100.00(2)
FCA Mexico S.A. de C.V. (formerly known as Chrysler de Mexico S.A. de C.V.)
 
Mexico
 
100.00(2)
LATAM Segment
 
 
 
 
FCA Fiat Chrysler Automoveis Brasil LTDA(3)
 
Brazil
 
100.00
Banco Fidis S.A.
 
Brazil
 
100.00
Chrysler de Venezuela LLC
 
USA (Delaware)
 
100.00(2)
Fiat Auto Argentina S.A.
 
Argentina
 
100.00
APAC Segment
 
 
 
 
Chrysler Australia Pty. Ltd.
 
Australia
 
100.00(2)
Chrysler Group (China) Sales Co. Ltd.
 
People’s Republic of China
 
100.00(2)
EMEA Segment
 
 
 
 
FCA Italy S.p.A.(4)
 
Italy
 
100.00
Sata-Società Automobilistica Technologie Avanzate S.p.A.
 
Italy
 
100.00
Fiat Automobiles Serbia Doo Kragujevac
 
Serbia
 
66.67
Chrysler Russia SAO
 
Russia
 
100.00(1)
Chrysler South Africa (Pty) Limited
 
South Africa
 
100.00(1)
Fiat Auto Poland S.A.
 
Poland
 
100.00
Fiat Group Automobiles Germany AG
 
Germany
 
100.00

51


Name 
 
Country 
 
Percentage
Interest Held 
Fiat Group Automobiles UK Ltd
 
United Kingdom
 
100.00
Fiat Powertrain Technologies Poland Sp. z o.o.
 
Poland
 
100.00
Fidis S.p.A.
 
Italy
 
100.00
Ferrari
 
 
 
 
Ferrari S.p.A.
 
Italy
 
90.00
Ferrari Financial Services, Inc.
 
USA (Delaware)
 
81.00
Ferrari North America Inc.
 
USA (New Jersey)
 
90.00
Ferrari Financial Services AG
 
Germany
 
81.00
Ferrari Cars International Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd. (formerly known as Ferrari Maserati Cars International Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd.)(5)
 
People’s Republic of China
 
72.00(5)
Maserati
 
 
 
 
Maserati S.p.A.
 
Italy
 
100.00
Maserati North America Inc.
 
USA (New Jersey)
 
100.00
Components
 
 
 
 
Magneti Marelli S.p.A.(6)
 
Italy
 
99.99
Automotive Lighting LLC
 
USA (Michigan)
 
99.99
Automotive Lighting Reutlingen GmbH
 
Germany
 
99.99
Magneti Marelli Sistemas Automotivos Industria e Comercio Ltda
 
Brazil
 
99.99
Teksid S.p.A.
 
Italy
 
84.79
Comau S.p.A.
 
Italy
 
100.00
Comau Inc.
 
USA (Michigan)
 
100.00
Holding Companies and Other Companies
 
 
 
 
FCA North America Holdings LLC(7)
 
USA (Delaware)
 
100.00
Fiat Chrysler Finance S.p.A.(8)
 
Italy
 
100.00
Fiat Chrysler Finance Europe S.A.(9)
 
Luxembourg
 
100.00
Fiat Chrysler Finance North America Inc.(10)
 
USA (Delaware)
 
100.00
Neptunia Assicurazioni Marittime S.A.
 
Switzerland
 
100.00
_____________________________
(1)
On December 15, 2014, Chrysler Group LLC changed its corporate name to FCA US LLC.
(2)
On January 21, 2014, we acquired the remaining 41.5 percent of FCA US that we did not previously own. See Item 4A. History and Development of the Company—History of FCA.
(3)
On December 29, 2014, Fiat Automoveis S.A. - FIASA changed its corporate name to FCA Fiat Chrysler Automoveis Brasil Ltda.
(4)
On December 15, 2014, Fiat Group Automobiles S.p.A. changed its corporate name to FCA Italy S.p.A..
(5)
In August 2014 Ferrari S.p.A. increased its interest in Ferrari Cars International Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd. from 59 percent to 80 percent (the Group's interest increased from 53.10 percent to 72 percent).
(6)
FCA holds 100 percent of the voting interest in Magneti Marelli S.p.A.
(7)
On December 15, 2014, Fiat North America LLC changed its corporate name to FCA North America Holdings LLC.
(8)
On November 5, 2014, Fiat Finance S.p.A. changed its corporate name to Fiat Chrysler Finance S.p.A.
(9)
On October 29, 2014, Fiat Finance and Trade Ltd S.A. changed its corporate name to Fiat Chrysler Finance Europe S.A.
(10)
On November 14, 2014, Fiat Finance North America Inc. changed its corporate name to Fiat Chrysler Finance North America Inc.


52


D. Property, Plant and Equipment
As of December 31, 2014, we operated 165 manufacturing facilities (including vehicle and light commercial vehicle assembly, powertrain and components plants), of which 43 were located in Italy, 34 in the rest of Europe, 32 in the U.S., 19 in Brazil, 14 in Mexico, 6 in Canada, and the remaining plants in Argentina, China and other countries. We also own other significant properties including parts distribution, research laboratories, test tracks, warehouses and office buildings. The total carrying value of our property, plant and equipment assets as of December 31, 2014 were €26.4 billion.
A number of our manufacturing facilities and equipment, such as land and industrial buildings, plant and machinery and other assets, are subject to mortgages and other security interests granted to secure indebtedness to certain financial institutions. As of December 31, 2014, our property, plant and equipment (excluding property, plant and equipment of FCA US) reported as pledged as collateral for loans amounted to approximately €1,670 million, as compared to €418 million at the end of 2013 and €314 million at the end of 2012.
Substantially all the property, plant and equipment of FCA US and its U.S. subsidiary guarantors are unconditionally pledged as security under its senior credit facilities, and secured senior notes, other than its Auburn Hills, Michigan headquarters and technology center, which are not pledged. For a description of these financing agreements, see Item 5B. Liquidity and Capital Resources.
We believe that planned production capacity is adequate to satisfy anticipated retail demand and our operations are designed to be flexible enough to accommodate the planned product design changes required to meet global market conditions and new product programs (such as through leveraging existing production capacity in each region for export needs).

53


The following table provides information about our significant assembly plants as of December 31, 2014.
Country
 
Location 
 
Covered Area
  (square meters) 
 NAFTA
 
 
 
 
U.S.
 
Belvidere
 
357,888
U.S.
 
Jefferson North
 
199,596
U.S.
 
Sterling Heights
 
233,347
U.S.
 
Toledo North
 
225,476
U.S.
 
Toledo Supplier Park
 
114,267
U.S.
 
Warren Truck
 
296,193
Mexico
 
Toluca
 
306,570
Mexico
 
Saltillo (Trucks and Vans)
 
221,010
Canada
 
Brampton
 
221,687
Canada
 
Windsor
 
299,925
 LATAM
 
 
 
 
Brazil
 
Betim
 
677,945
Argentina
 
Cordoba
 
227,162
Venezuela
 
Valencia
 
66,925
 APAC
 
 
 
 
China
 
Changsha
 
199,800
India
 
Ranjangaon
 
103,289
 EMEA