Photo: Stellantis
France is the home of important carmakers such as Renault, Peugeot, Citroën, Bugatti, Delage, Facel Vega, and a long et cetera. Yet, the latest car-related news from that country is to tell about ridiculously low new speed limits, banning cars or parking spots in certain areas, and new devices to fine drivers for speed or noise, just to name the ones off the top of our heads. It comes as no surprise that Carlos Tavares thinks France is “fundamentally autophobic.”
The Stellantis CEO said this in an interview with Le Parisien that also had Luca de Meo discuss the electrification shift. Although the two CEOs discussed multiple subjects, what drove people’s attention was Tavares’ perception that France, despite its essential role in automotive history, may have developed a disgust for cars that will only worsen. The French government will have a hard time with that.
Renault’s main stakeholder knows how vital the automotive industry is to the country’s economy. Luca de Meo had a hard time with his Renaulution: one of the French government’s demands was that Renault would not close any factory on French soil. That led the company to turn the ones that would eventually die into recycling units or to have other roles in the company’s strategy.
At the same time, many of the most prominent politicians in France view cars as villains. Anne Hidalgo, the mayor of Paris, turned them illegal in some of the capital’s areas. A recent tweet shows what rue du Temple was in 2017 and what it is now, without cars. Hidalgo recently tried to run for president and ended as the 10th of the 12 candidates.
Tavares did not miss the opportunity to express how wrong he thinks it is to force electric cars as the only viable option for personal transportation by 2035 in Europe. Although Stellantis is doing a good job with them, the company’s CEO said they are expensive, which makes them elitist goods.
If the middle class loses access to vehicles, they will either give up on them or buy older ones (which are more polluting). Tavares defends that customers should say what they want to buy instead of being forced to purchase what politicians think they should. If they can’t afford those products, the goal of reducing emissions will not be achieved. Another danger is that Europe will get flooded by Chinese electric cars, which Tavares claimed to be subsidized. As China is the country that controls most raw materials for batteries, the Stellantis CEO's concern may be well founded.
Renault’s main stakeholder knows how vital the automotive industry is to the country’s economy. Luca de Meo had a hard time with his Renaulution: one of the French government’s demands was that Renault would not close any factory on French soil. That led the company to turn the ones that would eventually die into recycling units or to have other roles in the company’s strategy.
At the same time, many of the most prominent politicians in France view cars as villains. Anne Hidalgo, the mayor of Paris, turned them illegal in some of the capital’s areas. A recent tweet shows what rue du Temple was in 2017 and what it is now, without cars. Hidalgo recently tried to run for president and ended as the 10th of the 12 candidates.
Tavares did not miss the opportunity to express how wrong he thinks it is to force electric cars as the only viable option for personal transportation by 2035 in Europe. Although Stellantis is doing a good job with them, the company’s CEO said they are expensive, which makes them elitist goods.
If the middle class loses access to vehicles, they will either give up on them or buy older ones (which are more polluting). Tavares defends that customers should say what they want to buy instead of being forced to purchase what politicians think they should. If they can’t afford those products, the goal of reducing emissions will not be achieved. Another danger is that Europe will get flooded by Chinese electric cars, which Tavares claimed to be subsidized. As China is the country that controls most raw materials for batteries, the Stellantis CEO's concern may be well founded.
Rue du Temple.
— Commute de Paris (@CommuteDeParis) October 2, 2022
2017 > dimanche 2 octobre 2022 pic.twitter.com/j0q5zBtPhl
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