Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares Says EVs Is Not For Everyone

Tavares is often critical of the EV transition, which has been pushed hard by many governments and is doing so again. “We have to get rid of dogmatic thinking where there is one solution for everyone,”. The CEO believes that the current EV can function as a solution for’some societies’, but not for everyone in every area of ​​the world.

According to Tavares, one of the obstacles to successful global adaptation is the lack of raw materials needed to build EVs. According to him, 500 kg of raw materials for one battery pack would ‘not come across as a very reasonable outcome’ if the aim is to protect the environment. Therefore, the automotive industry should look for new, innovative solutions that reduce the weight and amount of raw materials required by at least 50 percent. Tavares: “It doesn’t make sense to put 500 extra kilos of raw materials into an EV to give it a reasonable range of about 400 kilometres.”

Tavares receives support from Roberto Schaeffer, professor of energy economics at the University of Rio de Janeiro. Like Tavares, Schaeffer is one of the five experts at the annual Freedom of Mobility Forum and sees particular obstacles when it comes to access to a stable power grid. That is certainly not a certainty in Brazil and many other countries. Schaeffer also points to the costs of electric driving, which he believes will not be affordable for many people in the coming decades.

Tavares previously spoke negatively about the EU’s desire for regulation when it comes to electric driving and stated that this policy makes cars unattractive. He also believes that the European car industry has become easy prey for Chinese car manufacturers due to strict standards, among other things.

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