Alternatively, passing those costs on to customers will drive millions out of the new-vehicle market — and obviate thousands and thousands of manufacturing jobs.
Stellantis has tried to get ahead of higher EV costs by shifting much of the burden to its suppliers in an approach we criticized in this space last month.
But Tavares wasn’t wrong when he said “the big gorilla in the room” was the cost of electrification: If it doesn’t get tamed, the results could be gruesome.
Yet governments around the world are aiming to outlaw the use or sale of gasoline-burning vehicles on a timeline set without regard for industrial reality.
Lawmakers have set ambitious targets for electrification to combat climate change and reduce tailpipe emissions. Those are legitimate goals, and of course, the automotive industry will be part of the solution.
