Stellantis dealers to the EU: impossible for the market to absorb all these electric cars

Ad impossibilia nemo tenetur (no one can be forced to do what is impossible). The Romans understood this over twenty centuries ago. Now even Ursula von der Leyen, former/neo-president of the European Commission, knows it, because the Stellantis dealer associations have put it in black and white. In a letter, the salient passage of which we quote, they denounced how unthinkable it is that the market will absorb as many electric cars as it should.

"As distributors, we are in daily contact with end customers who often refuse Bev (electric cars - ed.) due to concerns about price, range and accessibility. This puts us in an opposite position to the manufacturer we represent, which remains optimistic about compliance with these strict EU regulations. However, from our point of view, it is clear that the industry is not yet ready to achieve the necessary volume of EV sales. This growing divergence between regulatory targets, market readiness and manufacturer expectations is a cause for concern. It was therefore no surprise when most European manufacturers, through Acea, called for a postponement of these targets, a proposal we fully support."

The meaning of the words is clear in the light of some past facts. From 2020, car manufacturers must keep their sales in Europe below an average level of CO2 emissions, or else face fines in the billions. So far they have succeeded, thanks to a share of electric cars under 10%. But from next year, the average limit will be lowered from 116 to 94 g/km and as a result the share of electric cars should more than double. As we know, consumers don't want to know and this short-circuit has driven the mayonnaise crazy.

Acea, the builders' association led by Luca De Meo, has asked the Commission to postpone the 2025 deadline to 2027. Stellantis, on the word of its CEO Carlos Tavares, on the other hand, expressed its opposition, arguing that the rule should remain as it is, confident that it will be respected.

This was a red alert for Stellantis dealers, already swollen with electric cars registered and put on the forecourts waiting for a customer who is nowhere in sight. They perceived that from January the manufacturer's pressure could increase further, with further capital tied up that would bring them to their knees. Hence the courage of those who feel cornered, forced to fight for the survival of companies that, if they individually employ a few hundred people at most, collectively employ over 150,000 people in Italy alone.