Stellantis eyeing a share of Europe's EV market, CEO says
This visit signals the urgency and importance he attaches to resolving these issues.
During a presentation of a new electric vehicle production line in Serbia, Stellantis chief executive officer Carlos Tavares urged his organisation to prepare for a fight for its share of the electric car market in Europe as strong Chinese carmakers are pressing on. "I expect lots of problems ahead especially from the assertive Chinese commercial incursion into the European territory," said Tavares. "At Stellantis, we are fully prepared for this competition."
He stated, "This is the message we want to convey to them that we are hard working, that we possess better technology, and that they should beware of us." Serbia Strategy to directly become a central hub for sustainable raw materials, batteries, and electric cars had attracted a 190 million euro (USD 206.9 million) electric vehicle manufacturing agreement between Stellantis and Serbia in 2022 at Kragujevac plant. As such, this facility has the capacity to spur economic development in the area.
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“This is a great potential for us,” Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic at the ceremony of presentation of the electric car production line. In its further efforts to transition towards a green economy, Serbia recently renewed the Rio Tinto mining license to explore Europe’s largest lithium deposit, which has the potential to underpin the continent’s EV industry. Growth is set to reach 92 thousand units in 2020, or 1 million electric vehicles or 17% of the European market.
Furthermore, Serbia has entered into a new agreement with the European Union that gives the EU access to raw materials that originated in Serbia and strengthens cooperation on clean raw materials, batteries, and electric vehicles. On the other hand, Ola Kaellenius, head of Mercedes-Benz, a German automaker, said on Friday that his firm is interested in purchasing lithium in Serbia and is in favor of developing battery value-added in the nation.
