Stellantis demands clarity from Europe. Cappellano: 'Courageous decisions and more flexibility are needed'

Stellantis' Head of Europe, Emanuele Cappellano, made a strong appeal from the Brussels Motor Show: the European Union must take 'courageous and immediate decisions' to tackle the current uncertain phase in the automotive sector. "2030 is far away, but the problem is today. The uncertainty is deep and we need flexibility in the short term,' he explained.

According to Cappellano, the risk is that Europe will continue on an 'irreversible trajectory', losing attractiveness and competitive ability. For this reason, Stellantis proposes an open technological approach: 'There is no single solution. In the short to medium term, we cannot only talk about battery electric vehicles. We also need hybrid, mild hybrid, full hybrid and range extender solutions. Multi-energy is the key'.

Cappellano welcomed the convening of the meeting on automotive wanted by Minister Adolfo Urso for 30 January at Mimit, calling it 'an excellent opportunity to work together on the competitiveness of the sector'. The manager reiterated the need for continuous dialogue between industry and institutions: 'This is work that we will continue to do together to find concrete solutions. Energy costs and regulatory stability are crucial issues to relaunch production in Europe'.

In the meantime, the Stellantis group continues with the 'Italy Plan', launched in 2024 and confirmed by Cappellano as consistent with the commitments made. 'We have already launched new models in Melfi, such as the Jeep Compass and the DS 8, and we are working on the new industrial plan, which will be presented in the first half of the year,' he anticipated.

Future investments, he explained, will also depend on the choices of the European Union. "EU decisions influence our visibility and ability to be consistent with what we have announced. We need a clear position from Europe to ensure a stable and sustainable framework,' he said.