The war between Stellantis and its dealers continues. This time, however, it’s not happening in North America, but in Europe. Stellantis dealers have urged the European Union to postpone the introduction of stricter CO2 emission standards starting from 2025. However, in recent weeks, Carlos Tavares, CEO of Stellantis, had expressed opposition to the same request coming from other car manufacturers, stating that these terms have been known for years and now it’s right to comply with them.
Stellantis: concerned dealers request postponement of new emission regulations effective from 2025
Specifically, dealers of Alfa Romeo, Citroen, Fiat, Jeep, and Peugeot have asked Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, to postpone the implementation of the regulations, scheduled for January 1, 2025, as they could harm the automotive sector.
Due to this new regulation, car manufacturers must stay below a certain emission threshold or risk paying very high fines. A possible solution would be to sell more electric cars, which, however, are not selling well at the moment: “Every day, customers reject electric vehicles because they are concerned about the high price, low range, and accessibility,” European dealers wrote in a letter. “This makes it impossible for us to sell electric vehicles and, consequently, to comply with the strict regulations in force from 2025.”
Renault has also requested a delay in this regulation, mainly due to the slowdown in electric vehicle sales. Car manufacturers risk receiving fines of up to 15 billion euros if they don’t comply with the new rules.
Despite this, Carlos Tavares stated that it would be “surreal” to change the rules now, just months before their introduction. Tavares emphasized that Stellantis has worked hard to be able to comply with the upcoming regulations, and it wouldn’t be fair to change them now. A Stellantis spokesperson responded to the letter saying: “Dealers are proud to contribute as a team to the fight against global warming. We will collaborate with them to define the right sales mix within the limits of CO2 compliance.”