Tavares, 'with duties there is a risk of overproduction in Europe. The Chinese do not scare us'

"Europe is afraid of competition. Europe is afraid of competition. We are not. Because if I start competing head-on with the Chinese, then many things will change'. This is Carlos Tavares' answer to a direct question from Il Sole 24 Ore, during a meeting with the Italian press.

'We are not selling any brand and we have a problem with Maserati, but we have to relaunch it'. This was Carlos Tavares' reply to a direct question from Il Sole 24 Ore, during a meeting with the Italian press. The CEO of Stellantis confirmed what he had been saying in recent days, emphasising that he did not want to sell any brands but repeating as if it were a mantra the importance of relying on profitable brands. With Maserati we have a problem with the way it presents itself on the market, we have the technologies and the know-how. The Maserati brand has a long history, we have to do something to relaunch it," he said a few days after the departure of the Modenese brand's CEO replaced by Santo Ficili.

If on Maserati Tavares communicated a certain optimism, the situation is different on the subject of duties and Chinese manufacturers. Because for Stellantis' number one, this choice will lead to the inauguration of production plants of Asian brands in Europe, which will result in further overproduction on a continent that already has more cars than customers. Translated? According to Tavares, customs duties would put the health of European manufacturers' plants at even greater risk. And here Tavares in the meeting on the sidelines of the Leapmotor presentation was less reassuring on the subject of safeguarding Stellantis plants. The good news comes, however, from the total absence of competitive fear of Chinese brands. 'Europe is afraid of competition. Europe is afraid to compete. We are not. Because if I start competing head-on with the Chinese, then many things will change,' Tavares stressed to our direct question. 'Of course we have to do it not with 12-volt technology, for example, but we have all the capabilities to do it.'

Even on car incentives Tavares leaves no room for doubt: 'We do not ask for money for Stellantis. We ask for money for the citizens. The incentives serve to protect the whole chain. They are needed to support a very brutal transition from internal combustion engines to electric vehicles, which was carried out with a very short time window that put manufacturers, suppliers and dealerships in a difficult situation. Economic support will be needed until electrics cost the same as thermals, which are now 40 per cent more expensive'. And the CEO of Stellantis pointed out that they are 'totally open to continuing the dialogue with the Italian government and talking to anyone who invites us to discuss. We have no problem, there is no dogmatism on our side'.

Another clarification came on the subject of the one million cars produced in Italy by 2030, which according to Tavares will become one million customers. And this is where the future 500 hybrid produced in Mirafiori comes into play, expected by the end of 2025 and ahead of the announced 2026. According to Tavares, production of the 500 hybrid will bring an increase in output of 80 to 100 thousand cars at the Turin plant. A model, however, that will arrive with 12-volt technology, not in step with the times No news on the STLA Small platform, dedicated according to Tavares to B and C models and not to the A segment: 'for that we have the Topolino, perfect for urban travel'. Which let us remember, however, is not a passenger car but a quadricycle. On the Dare Forward plan front, Tavares recalled that he had kept to the long list of launches announced in 2022 but was ready to make an assessment next year on the results obtained by the various models and brands and intervene accordingly. And again on the sidelines of the meeting with leapmotor, Tavares extinguished any rumours about his possible replacement: 'I have a five-year contract and I will go to the end, scheduled for early 2026'.