- European Stellantis dealers have written to the president of the European Commission calling for a rethink on tough emissions targets due to come into force in 2025.
- The heads of the four main dealer groups have come out in opposition to Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares, who has refused to call for weakened targets.
- Falling EV sales make the targets unachievable, the dealers say, and will result in automakers paying billions of euros in fines.
Carlos Tavares is already under fire from American dealers for making “reckless” decisions that have degraded the value of brands like Jeep, Ram, and Dodge. And now European retailers are piling on the pressure, claiming the CEO’s emissions stance is going to cost the company billions.
The four heads of the Stellantis dealer network in Europe handling sales of Abarth, Alfa Romeo, Citroen, DS, Fiat, Lancia, Jeep, Opel, and Peugeot cars have written to the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, asking the Commission to relax fleet average CO2 emissions targets due to come into force next year.
Related: Stellantis Could Be Looking For A New CEO To Replace Tavares
They claim the collapse of the EV market means the industry has no realistic chance of meeting those targets, and failure to meet them would result in large financial penalties for affected automakers.
Other automakers and chiefs, including Renault’s Luca de Meo, and the auto industry association ACEA agree and are also pressing for revised targets. But Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares is not.
“The rules have been known for several years, my guys are ready for the fight,” Auto News reported Stellantis telling journalists last month. “Now, we are a few months before the race starts, and somebody says, hold on, change the rules.”
But the Stellantis dealer group heads say the lack of affordable EVs and inadequate charging infrastructure is turning buyers off electric cars and creating a disconnect between regulatory goals, market readiness, and manufacturer expectations.
“As distributors, we are in daily contact with end customers who frequently reject BEVs due to concerns over price, range, and accessibility,” the dealers wrote. “This places us in a position contrary to that of the manufacturer we represent, who remains optimistic about meeting these stringent EU regulations.”
The dealers urged von der Leyen to consider revising the rules to “facilitate a more gradual transition towards the 2035 targets.”