(Finance) – “Instead of arguing about the regulations it would be better to get to work. We have the technology they facilities that allow electrification: Stellantis is ready”. The CEO of Stellantis, Carlos Tavaresspoke at a hearing in the Chamber of Deputies. “The only thing we ask of you – said Tavares – is the stability of the regulations because in our sector the throughput time is very long. We need to plan ahead, to execute and put plans into practice,” he added.
It was aaudition bright, at times tense. “I seem to see a certain anger, a certain resentment – replied the CEO at the end of the parliamentarians’ questions –. It is the same attitude of Stellantis employees, the situation is very difficult”https://www.Finance.it/DettaglioNews /123_2024-10-11_TLB/.”The cause is the regulatory framework that was imposed on us, but the rules were not imposed from Stellantis to Stellantis: Stellantis and the automotive industry found themselves these rulesthe situation was triggered by regulations voted in Europe. We have a problem and we need to solve it,” he stressed
Tavares recalled that “i vehicles Chinese they cost 30% less than ours, this only increases the pressure on the automotive industry” which is facing the transition electric with costs rising “by 40% which we are trying to absorb”https://www.Finance.it/DettaglioNews/123_2024-10-11_TLB/.”The situation is truly difficult, I am not surprised that our sector is under pressure”. To reverse the trend, Tavares suggested, we need to “stimulate the requesthelping the middle class with incentives and subsidies. We need to support demand with significant injections of incentives, otherwise we won’t be able to do it”, he declared.
As for the promise of producing one million vehicles in ItalyTavares replied: “I will never talk about a million vehicles, but about a million customers: if we had a million customers the manufacturing system in Italy could produce all those vehicles”https://www.Finance.it/DettaglioNews/123_2024-10-11_TLB/.”For this reason – he replied – it is better to support the demand: we are not asking for money for ourselves, but to give a help for your citizens” with supports that can make “vehicles accessible” and “reduce the costs” of electric cars.
“We have no intention of abandoning Italy, nor of anyone challenging it leadership of Stellantis in Italy”, the CEO then stated. “We are here, we have the necessary capacity to support 1 million customers”, he added. “I don’t want to sell the facilities industrial because I need it: we have no intention of weakening our position in Italy, indeed we will fight like hell to maintain it”, he added.
As for the gigafactory Of Termolithe CEO underlined that “it is in our plans”, indeed “it is certainly the privileged site”https://www.Finance.it/DettaglioNews/123_2024-10-11_TLB/.”The Termoli situation is very simple: we think of needing 3-4 gigafactories in Europe if Europe becomes a 100% BEV market, powered by electric batteries factories they represent a huge investment, our idea is to make investments, but they are only useful if there is demand: if there is no market demand, we do not make any investments in a plan that would remain unused”, clarified the manager.