Stellantis, Imparato: 100% electric will be lethal for commercial vehicles

Moving from discussion to action. This is the message from Jean-Philippe Imparato, director of Stellantis Europe, at his meeting with the press on the occasion of the Monaco Show. The French manager's main points leave little room for interpretation, starting with how the ban on thermal engines to 2035 will be lethal for light commercial vehicles. Secondly, if we want to ensure convergence towards a world that is CO2-neutral and electrified by definition, we cannot avoid considering the A-segment in Europe, which will disappear from 2019. "In 2019, there were 49 production cars under 15,000 euros in Europe. Today? One,' stressed Imparato. The third is related to the age of the European fleet of 256 million cars where more than 150 million are over 10 years old. 'We want to promote freedom of choice for our customers once and for all. We want to protect the industry in terms of development capacity without depending completely on Asia to support the battery industry in Europe. Otherwise, we will only be dependent on China,' Imparato said. All this with a redefinition of the Dare Forward plan, expected in early 2026, where 100 per cent electric by 2030 will be revised.

Technological neutrality and range extender.

What will the future Stellantis range look like? Definitely multi-energy, with plenty of room for range extenders and hybrid diesel for commercial vehicles. "I am pushing from the beginning for MHEVs, HEVs, long-range PHEVs, and our programme can be very interesting in terms of features and performance. We can offer all energies and all powers are welcome and all proposals are on the table in terms of development. This is a huge investment. We have an idea on the HEV market for hybrids and we will see the first applications in 24/36 months'. Also among the novelties is the possibility of seeing a Ducato hybrid;

Another point made by Imparato is how the EU should evaluate the CO2 saved in the case of scrapping. "I would like the Commission to recognise the benefits of CO2 and the same applies to an average car in 2025. Scrapping a 2010 car, I would say about 76 grams of CO2. Don't give me money. Simply recognise the CO2. Accounting for the CO2 I save by renewing a car would be enough to get the right level of commercial emissions from the end customer to generate the CO2 needed to be compliant.