In a new interview, Stellantis European Head, Uwe Hochschurtz, claimed, “The people have decided: we will be purely electric,” backtracking statements made by the company’s CEO, Carlos Tavares.
The statement is a surprise as the Stellantis CEO has been adamantly against going all-in on electric vehicles.
Less than a year ago, the Stellantis leader said electric vehicles were being “imposed” on the auto industry while claiming “there is no way” the automaker can avoid passing on additional EV costs to buyers.
More recently, in response to the European Union’s proposed ban on fossil fuel car sales from 2035, Tarvis argued hybrids should play a more significant role in the transition. Under the new proposal, hybrid vehicles would be phased out as low-emission vehicles in 2030, paving the way for fully electric cars.
Mr. Tavares has made it clear he believes electric vehicles are being forced upon them, saying in an interview in January:
What is clear is that electrification is a technology chosen by politicians, not by industry.
However, since these comments were made, there has been a clear shift in sales of electric vehicles. EVs have continued to gain ground in every major auto market (including the US, Europe, and China). The International Energy Agency forecasts global EV sales share to reach 13% compared to 9.4% in 2021.
More importantly, people prefer EVs. The latest EY Mobility Consumer Index 2022 Study found that 52% of car buyers prefer an electric vehicle for their next purchase, and the preference for fully electric has more than tripled since 2020.
In light of the CEO’s warnings about going all in on EVs, the automaker’s European boss seems to be on board with the new gas-powered car ban yet reiterates the CEO’s message on affordability. To help offset the purchase price, Hochschurtz offers a solution by proposing a lower tax rate on EVs.
Stellantis European head on the transition to electric vehicles
In an interview with a German newspaper, Stellantis’s chief operating officer for enlarged Europe, Uwe Hochschurtz, claims:
The people have decided: We will be purely electric.
But, during the interview, the Stellantis executive criticized the German government’s move to reduce electric vehicle incentives even as the growing demand for EVs makes them expendable. According to Hochschurtz, since (at least in Stellantis’s case) electric vehicles cost more to produce, the government should make up the difference.
Hochschurtz offered the idea of a lower tax rate on electric vehicle purchases in Germany as an alternative to the subsidies, stating:
An electric car helps us keep our environment clean, and a non-electric car makes our environment dirtier. I don’t think you can use the same tax rates there.
Despite Tavares’s comments, as part of the Stellantis Dare Forward 2030, the automaker is aiming for 100% electric vehicle sales in Europe and 50% in the United States by the end of the decade. Stellantis revealed its first fully electric Jeep Avenger, built for the European market earlier this week.
Electrek’s Take
To clarify, several other automakers have proven it’s possible to build profitable electric models. To me, it seems Stellantis needs to invest in the technology and supply chains required to build EVs at scale instead of trying to make excuses.
Electric vehicles are working. According to a new IEA analysis, CO2 emissions are set to grow by just 1%, and the report adds that the increase would be “much larger – more than tripling” if it were not for the growing number of electric vehicles and renewable energy deployments.
As far as hybrids go, they were a great bridge to fully electric vehicles. The biggest reason consumers didn’t make the switch was limited range. Now that battery technology has progressed and charging stations are rolling out, there’s no reason not to go fully electric.
Stellantis is late to the party and now looking to play catch up, so it makes sense that Tavares continues to argue against the transition to fully electric vehicles.
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Echoing the words of hydrogen critics everywhere, Mahle Chairman Arnd Franz says that building out a hydrogen infrastructure won’t be possible without “blue” H made from fossil fuels.
With that in mind, I don’t want to misrepresent the words of the esteemed Mr. Franz, who claims to be bullish on H’s prospects as a fuel. What I intend to do here, then, is shine a light on the space between Franz’ lines, read whatever’s in there, and then ask if you see what I see.
“We can’t achieve any CO2 emission reductions if you use natural gas or any other fossil sources to produce hydrogen,” Franz is quoted saying. “Today, the overwhelming portion of hydrogen production worldwide is around 90 million tons. That number is going to go up to 130 million tons until 2030. Currently, we have a flourishing and growing portion of that being more sustainable. By more sustainable, I mean blue and, eventually, green hydrogen. In our opinion, [blue hydrogen production is needed] to get the infrastructure going in order to get the ecosystem.”
I read that as saying that, today, there are no carbon emissions reduction benefits from using hydrogen as a fuel, because the overwhelming majority of those 90 million tons is being produced by natural gas and fossil fuels.
What’s more, everyone involved seems to trying to justify that with claims that fossil-generated hydrogen is some kind of “necessary evil” (my words) to build out a viable H ecosystem. See if you hear it, too.
“We will fail [with hydrogen technology] if we don’t use blue hydrogen,” Franz clarified. “Right now, hydrogen is produced from fossil sources with carbon capture, meaning we don’t let the carbon reach the atmosphere. Eventually, we need to get to wind and solar as the sources of energy to make hydrogen, and we believe the US has a really impressive program [thanks to] subsidies from the Inflation Reduction Act.”
He was right then, and he’s still right now. “It’s one thing to have the technology and another thing for the technology to be viable,” Vlaskamp told the magazine Expansión (translated from Spanish). “Green hydrogen is not available for transportation and there is no point in switching from diesel to hydrogen if the energy source is not sustainable.”
The UAW union’s Stellantis Council met yesterday to discuss the beleaguered carmaker’s “ongoing failure” to honor the agreement that ended the 2023 labor strike, and their latest union memo doesn’t pull many punches.
In an email sent out by the UAW earlier today (received at 4:55PM CST), UAW President Shawn Fain wrote, “For years, the company picked us off plant-by-plant and we lacked the will and the means to fight back. Today is different. Because we stood together and demanded the right to strike over job security—product commitment—we have the tools to fight back and win … We unanimously recommend to the membership that every UAW worker at Stellantis prepare for a fight, and we all get ready to vote YES to authorize a strike at Stellantis.”
Kia promises the new EV9 GT will have “enormous power,” but that’s not all. For the first time, the Kia EV9 GT was caught with an active spoiler, giving us a sneak peek at potential new upgrades.
The brand’s first three-row electric SUV is already making its presence known in the US, helping push Kia to back-to-back record sales months. Meanwhile, a more powerful, sporty variant is on the way.
Kia confirmed the EV9 GT will top off the electric SUV’s lineup in April. Packing “enormous power,” the high-performance GT model can accelerate from 0 to 62 mph (0 to 100 km/h) in 4 secs.
With a “high-output” dual-motor (AWD) system, the EV9 GT can quickly pick up speed despite weighing over 5,000 lbs.
Kia also equipped it with other high-performance features, such as a reinforced suspension and electronic braking system, for better control and stability.
We’ve already caught a glimpse of the performance electric SUV out testing, revealing aggressive new bumpers and wheels. Now, a new design feature has been spotted.
Kia EV9 GT could come with an active rear spoiler
The latest video from HealerTV shows the EV9 GT with what appears to be an active spoiler. As the reporter noted, it could be similar to the one spotted on the Genesis GV70 Magma.
Tesla’s Model X also used to come with an active spoiler until it was dropped a few years back. Although the GT model was spotted with one, Kia could just be testing new features, so don’t get too excited yet.
Earlier this week, a video from HealerTV showed the front row of the EV9 GT, comparing it to the current GT-Line model.
Several differences can be immediately noticed, including a more aggressive, all-black design with a yellow stripe down the center of the seat.
Kia is set to launch the EV9 GT in early 2025. It will rival other performance SUVs like the Tesla Model X Plaid.
Although prices have yet to be confirmed, the GT model is expected to sit above the current GT-Line at $73,900. In comparison, Tesla’s Model X Plaid starts at $94,990 and can sprint from 0 to 60 mph in 2.5 secs.
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