Carlos Tavares: “Producing vehicles that cannot be bought by the middle class because they cost too much is useless”

During a hearing before elected representatives of the Italian parliament, the general director of Stellantis returned to the production costs of cars that are too high in Italy.

“The cost of energy is very high in Italy, double that of Spain. It is a huge disadvantage, it does not allow margins to be defended.” Carlos Tavares denounced last Friday before the Italian parliament. The boss of Stellantis, who will hand over in 2026 at the end of his current mandate, has thus put his foot in the dish, fciting production costs in Italy, “40% higher than the costs of our competitors”he said. The boss of the automobile group, in great disagreement with the Italian executive, continued: “Producing vehicles that cannot be bought by the middle class because they cost too much is useless.”

Significant incentives are needed

To reverse the trend, Carlos Tavares asked the Italian government for help, clearly: “Why don’t we sell electric cars in Italy? They cost too much. We must make them accessible through incentives and subsidies. How ? It’s a decision that’s yours to make.. To support demand there needs to be strong incentives, otherwise we won’t succeed.”

A digital automotive journalist for many years, I also have a strong taste for motor sports.