The boss of Stellantis says the car manufacturer is prepared to tweak its EV strategy based on the results of important elections in the U.S. and Europe next year.
While recently speaking with members of the press at the company’s Mirafiori plant in Turin, Italy, Carlos Tavares noted that the carmaker will keep a close eye on the results of the European Parliament elections and the U.S. presidential election, acknowledging Stellantis will have to respond “if political and public opinion tends toward fewer EVs.”
“There are two important elections next year — the European Parliament elections in June and the U.S. elections in November. It could be that politics will be different then,” he noted while speaking with Automobilwoche. “One of my tasks is to prepare the company for new framework conditions. We have plans prepared for this.”
While Stellantis may need to make changes to its electrification plans depending on the results of these elections, it remains committed to a significant shift. Indeed, a spokesperson has confirmed the company is sticking with its Dare Forward 2030 plan that will see 100% of its European sales shift to battery-electric vehicles by 2030 while 50% of its U.S. sales will be BEVs by the same date.
Read: Stellantis Drops 12 New Electric Delivery Vans All At Once
The European Union will ban the sale of most new combustion vehicles from 2035. In the U.S., California and at least 10 other states also intend on phasing out sales of combustion-powered cars and light trucks by 2035.
Most of the future BEVs from Stellantis will be based on its STLA Small, Medium, Large, and Frame architectures. However, it was recently revealed that the new ‘Smart Car’ platform of the Citroen e-C3 will underpin as many as 7 new production models from the marque, including from Fiat and Opel.
