“People should pay for the ecological transition with money”

Renault Group CEO Luca de Meo made his views on the high price of electric vehicles blunt on Tuesday. “The people who have money, the rich, now have to pay for the transition to an electric car, because these cars cost more money,” he said in a speech at the Anfac car manufacturers forum.

During the video conference, the manager called for a European electric vehicle strategy and accused the EU of “cha-cha dancing” while other regions of the world, such as China, are making decisive progress in vehicle electrification.

He predicts that prices for electric vehicles will eventually fall, although currently “40% of their cost comes from batteries,” which “are not available everywhere.” It is for this reason that European industry cannot be left behind, he said.

Wayne Griffiths worried about low demand in Spain

The president of the car manufacturers’ association Anfac, Wayne Griffiths, was also more critical than in other cases of the promotion of electric vehicles in Spain. “I’m worried about Spain because sales of electric vehicles are not enough. Things are not going well,” he said.

Seat’s CEO’s message is that large-scale industrial adoption in factories must be matched by demand. “We manufacturers are risking billions on electrified cars that are then not sold in Spain,” he said.

He also defended the approval of incentives and tax changes to encourage the purchase of electric vehicles. Assistance under the Relocation plan is “slow in delivery” and “citizens don’t know it exists.” At the same time, “the Treasury cannot turn its back on climate action,” he said.

To end the sector’s complaints, Anfac CEO José López-Tafall requested a new Moves plan to help purchase electric vehicles, which improves on the previous one, of which barely half of the 1 billion budget was used. “The current plan ends on June 30 and has not worked,” he complained. Manufacturers complain that it takes a year to receive the aid and results in unexpected taxes at the Treasury.

Pedro Sanchez expects new assistance for the purchase of electric vehicles

The assertiveness of the top managers of Seat and Renault was at its best as the closing of the day was entrusted to the government president, Pedro Sanchez. In his speech, he announced that “in the coming weeks” the government will consider a new plan to help purchase electric vehicles.

“We are not satisfied” and “I think we can do much more.” “We are going to redouble our efforts” to “improve in the coming weeks the program to support the purchase of electric vehicles and charging stations in Spain,” the government president said.

He also highlighted the government’s efforts to mobilize funds to support the automobile sector. There is a total of 6 billion euros, he recalled, progress on which will be made this year thanks to two new requests from Perte VEC: one “in the coming months” and another before the end of the year for 1 billion 200 million euros.