October 12, 2024
The CEO of Stellantis, Carlos Tavares, appeared in Parliament, at a hearing, and essentially beat the cash. «How do we solve the problem of electric car sales? Making electric cars accessible. As? With incentives that make the purchase of an electric vehicle accessible. In Europe, as soon as the incentives stop, there is a collapse in the purchase of electric vehicles. Significant injections of incentives are needed to support demand in Italy. Or you absorb 40% of the increase in costs in terms of productivity”, said the manager during the hearing yesterday in Montecitorio, before the Productive Activities commissions of the Chamber and Industry of the Senate, on the automotive production of the Stellantis group in Italy.
«Chinese vehicles cost 30% less than ours, this only increases the pressure on the automotive industry» grappling with the electric transition, continued Tavares. Hence the usual recipe to stimulate demand, summed up in a magic “little word”: subsidies. A position that has sparked controversial reactions from the right and the left.
«The million cars advertised as the objective no longer exists, there is a million customers, but we have to find them with incentives. Then I’m good too. This is unacceptable blackmail that happens every time”, observed the secretary of Action, Carlo Calenda, who spoke during the hearing, as did Elly Schlein and Giuseppe Conte. «We expected much more from this hearing. We ask for clarity, much more than what we have heard here. Because, instead, we have seen signs of disengagement, of disinvestment”, stated the leader of the Democratic Party.
A “completely unsatisfactory and deficient” intervention. Tavares didn’t tell us anything about the future of our factories, about investments in research and development”, underlined the president of the M5s. Harsh comments were also made by members of the majority. «We expected much more convincing answers from Tavares. Instead, we have witnessed a series of alibis and an unacceptable attempt to exclude any responsibility on the part of the company for not having kept the agreements – attacked Fabio Pietrella, deputy of Fratelli d’Italia and member of the Productive Activities commission of the Chamber. Indeed, Tavares tried to shift all the burden onto the government which instead supported consumption with major investments, a billion in incentives, and the modification of the Euro7 Regulation. Faced with this, Stellantis not only did not increase production, as promised, but actually lowered it, even for the models covered by incentives. A paradox which then translates into a disaster in terms of production, but also and above all employment, including related industries. Furthermore, in our vision, the production of quality Made in Italy, even in the automotive sector, as it was until a few years ago, is a source of pride and, for this reason, we feel doubly impressed by the tenor and the meaning of Tavares’ words. We need a clear change of pace which, however, has not been glimpsed at all.”
For the senator also from FdI, Luca De Carlo, president of the Industry commission of Palazzo Madama, «certainty is needed on the industrial level, which must provide a clear mission for each plant and for each brand. We cannot afford to lose other historical pieces of the industry that contribute to the prestige of our Made in Italy. We ask for guarantees – he concluded – that the group’s management is up to the challenge that such a complex situation imposes”.
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