Stellantis chief executive Antonio Filosa has pledged to multiply investment in Europe if Brussels relaxes its 2035 ban on petrol engines and follows the US in giving “freedom” to consumers to buy any car they want.
In a joint interview with the Financial Times, Ola Källenius, head of European car industry body Acea and the chief executive of Mercedes-Benz, also warned that the European Commission would be making “a catastrophic mistake” if the automotive market shrank further as a result of forcing the industry to sell only EVs.
Unlike in China and the US, car production in Europe remains significantly below pre-pandemic levels with Stellantis temporarily pausing production across the continent in October because of sluggish demand.