The words spoken by Antonio Filosa, CEO of Stellantis, during the Automotive Industry Day in Paris were nothing short of explosive. The head of the group delivered a scathing critique of the European Union’s decision to ban the sale of internal combustion engine vehicles starting in 2035.
Stellantis CEO slams EU combustion ban and threatens to halt investments
“This regulation is simply wrong. Not partly, not halfway: just wrong!” Filosa declared before the audience, marking a clear break from Brussels’ political line. The CEO went even further, warning that Stellantis will suspend new investments in Europe if the European Commission does not revise the ban. “We will invest more only if the rules change. We need freedom to innovate, not the dictates of a single technology,” he explained, stressing that a strategy focused solely on electric vehicles risks weakening Europe’s industrial base, while other regions attract capital and expertise.
Filosa reminded the audience that Stellantis has already invested $13 billion in the United States, the largest financial commitment in the company’s history abroad, and €1.2 billion in Morocco to expand the Kenitra plant, which will increase capacity from 200,000 to 530,000 vehicles per year. “In Europe, on the other hand, there’s nothing new for now. Until the ban is eased, there will be no talk of new factories.”
The CEO reiterated a stance shared by many European automakers: postpone the ban to 2040 and allow the use of synthetic and biofuels. According to Filosa, this is the only way to avoid hundreds of thousands of job losses and preserve the industry’s global competitiveness.
His remarks underscore a growing divide between Brussels and the European automotive industry, which fears being crippled by excessive bureaucracy and rigid regulations, while the United States, China, and Morocco position themselves as the new global hubs of the automotive sector.
