The car group Stellantis was created in 2021 through the merger between Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and Groupe PSA (Citroën, DS, Opel, Peugeot). CEO Carlos Tavares has an impressive track record. He dragged Peugeot away from the abyss and made Opel profitable again in record time. He has a clear opinion about electric cars: they will cause problems.
Far-reaching electrification is the political choice not the car industry’s choice, Tavares told journalists from several European newspapers. He even believes that the electric car will cause social problems. “EVs are 50 percent more expensive to build than combustion engine cars. We will see in the coming years which manufacturers survive and which do not.”
‘Electric cars will cause social problems’
“You should also not lose sight of the fact that electric cars will have social consequences,” Tavares continues. “We run the risk of losing the middle class, which will soon be no… [dure elektrische – red.] car.” Many countries subsidize the EV, but Tavares doesn’t think that’s a good idea either. “There are cheaper and faster ways in which we can reduce the CO2 emissions of cars.”
Is Tavares right in his opinion about electric cars?
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‘With the European energy mix, an EV is only clean after 70,000 kilometers’
According to the Portuguese, an electric car in Europe needs 70,000 kilometers to compensate for the CO2 footprint of its production and to outperform a plug-in hybrid. Europe wants to ban the sale of new fuel cars from 2035. According to Tavares, this will lead to a slaughter for manufacturers and suppliers. “That such abrupt action will be taken in the coming years entails social risks.”
Will Stellantis Stop Its Electric Model Offensive? No of course not
Does Tavares’ view mean that Stellantis is ending its electric offensive? No of course not. At the beginning of March, Stellantis will announce new plans and it will probably state that the company will bet even more on EVs than it already does. Moreover, there is reason to doubt Tavares’ opinion. His plea for plug-in hybrids as a faster and cheaper solution is strange. Plug hybrids pollute much more than the manufacturers indicate, according to research.