The European car industry is headed for an “irreversible recession” unless the EU relaxes its regulations on carbon dioxide emissions.
That’s what he says of the Stellantis Group chairman of the board John Elkann. He hopes for flexibility in the combustion engine ban that will come into effect in 2035.
In ten years, the sale of new combustion engine cars is to be stopped in Europe.
“There is another way to reduce emissions, restore (the automotive industry’s) lost growth and meet people’s needs,” Elkann told the news agency Reuters by.
The industry’s wish list is that, for example, plug-in hybrids and alternative fuels would continue to be allowed after 2035.
The industry would also like an extensive scrapping reward campaign and the easing of regulation so that a new class of small and affordable electric cars would be allowed in the future.
The European Commission is scheduled to take a stance on the automotive industry’s wishes on December 10.
Stellantis warned at the beginning of this year that it might have to close its factories due to emission fines imposed on car manufacturers. The Stellantis group includes, for example, the French company Peugeot, the German Opel and the Italian Fiat, as well as a number of American car brands.
Elkann shared his thoughts at the launch of the Fiat 500 hybrid model in Turin on November 25. With the model, Stellantis aims to revive its Italian car production, which has suffered from weak demand and competition from Chinese manufacturers.
Around 13 million new cars were registered in Europe last year, while before the corona pandemic in 2019 the number of registrations was 15.8 million.