Carlos Tavares, CEO of Stellantis, shared his views on the Italian automotive industry from the Atessa plant, Europe’s largest facility dedicated to light commercial vehicles. During his speech, he addressed various topics, emphasizing Italy’s importance in the sector and the need for more government support.
According to Carlos Tavares, Italy is the country investing the least in electric car production
The manager highlighted that Italy invests less than other countries in supporting electric vehicle production. This issue is significant given the presence of facilities like Mirafiori, focusing on producing models such as the electric Fiat 500. “In the last nine months, we have repeatedly asked the Government to support us in producing electric vehicles, especially considering that we have a facility, Mirafiori, dedicated solely to these types of cars. Italy spends much less than other countries to support the production of 100% electric vehicles, and this has caused us to lose out on products we could have created: I would like to thank the Government for launching incentives in February, but we have lost nine months,” stated Tavares.
The CEO of Stellantis also noted how the new incentives, expected in February, are a positive step, although he considers them late. This delay, according to Tavares, has resulted in the loss of many opportunities in the sector. “Therefore, if we want to produce a million cars in Italy every year, it is essential to incentivize cars produced within Italian factories like Mirafiori.”
Tavares then discussed the issue of electric car accessibility for the middle class, emphasizing how high costs represent a significant obstacle. “Today, they are not accessible to the middle class. The volumes are limited because the number of batteries is limited. We have to fight against global warming, but electric technology costs 40% more than thermal technology. If we want electric vehicles to be accessible to the middle class, we have to absorb the higher cost; this is the reality,” he declared.
Finally, he commented on the Italian government’s intention to stimulate competition by introducing another manufacturer into the national market, stating: “If the Government wants to stimulate competition by bringing another manufacturer to Italy, we are fine with that; we are ready to fight. But we also have to look at the potential consequences; we will see if it is a good choice for Italy. Chinese manufacturers? We will face them; we are ready and eager to defend our facilities.”