The Stellantis boss admitted his company fully supports Europe’s ban on internal combustion vehicles, although introducing new electric vehicles and convincing consumers to buy them “can be challenging”.
During a media “round table” at the Paris Auto Show, Carlos Tavares pointed out that, in addition to being ready for the European ban in 2035, Stellantis is also ready for stricter emissions and fuel consumption regulations in the US. He “can’t wait for his group to do its part in the fight against climate change,” he reports Jutarnji.hr.
“We want to be on the right side of history,” Tavares said. “We are not asking for any delay. We are only looking for the stability of the rules so that they function properly and serve the societies in which we operate. And I think if you’re asking for a delay, that means none of this is a significant issue.”
Stellantis spends almost 15 billion euros a year on the development and production of electric vehicles, and by the end of this year it will have as many as 40 electric vehicles available on the European market. However, it faces significant sales challenges, particularly in the US. The company’s sales in the US fell sharply in the first nine months of this year, and Stellantis is working to reduce its huge inventory of cars.
On the other hand, it’s easy for Stellantis to root for the ban, because no matter which faction wins in the end, they’ll have a solution. Namely, all their European platforms, and many for American cars, are adapted to receive all types of drives, from gasoline and diesel, through all types of hybrids to electric. Stellantis thus does not have to spend a lot of money on separate development of electric and internal combustion models.
Source: Jutarnji.hr
Photo: Autoblog.rs Archive / Fiat
Source: autoblog.rs
