Europe must defend its car industry against China and the United States. This is the message that the Minister of the Economy, Bruno Le Maire, came to transmit this morning at the Automobile Summit in Paris, between the interventions of Luca De Meo (Renault), Christophe Périllat (Valeo) or Carlos Tavares (Stellantis). “Our problem is that our main partners have opted for protectionist strategies,” said the minister, referring to China and the United States.
A “European preference”
“Or we make them move, and that will be one of the challenges of the trip of the President of the Republic to Washington. Or we do not achieve it and we will have to ask ourselves what we are adopting as a common policy at European level”. level to better defend our interests,” he continued.
The United States in particular plans to subsidize the purchase of electric cars only if they are made in North America. “In the face of these aggressive trade policies (…), it is essential to restore reciprocity in trade between Europe, the United States and China,” said Bruno Le Maire. The “European preference” must be one of the instruments available to the States, stressed Bruno Le Maire.
Why not a small vehicle the Peugeot 208?
To defend himself yes, but also to fight back. The Minister of the Economy thus congratulated Stellantis and Renault for their announcements on the production of electric vehicles in France. But Bruno Le Maire asked the two manufacturers, in which the State is a shareholder, to relocate more, after thirty years of massive relocations. “Other (ads) must follow,” Bruno Le Maire launched.
However, the minister is aware that producing in France may come at a cost. “I never hid that industrial sovereignty had a cost and that the transfer of our industrial activities to France had a cost. Yes, producing an electric battery in France is more expensive than importing a battery from China. But this battery is produced in France. , generates employment, generates value for our country, enables the opening of factories and, above all, emits less carbon, simply because the factory that manufactures its batteries will be supplied with carbon-free electricity, while in China the factory that produces its batteries will be fed with carbon-based electricity produced by coal-fired power plants”, detailed the minister at the end of his speech.
“Don’t cry over spilled milk”
Bruno Le Maire also scolded certain car players who are still protesting against the de facto ban on thermal engines in 2035. Carlos Tavares had denounced, in particular in BFM Business, “dogmatic and naive positions” in Europe, which “rolled out the carpet red for Chinese manufacturers”.
“We can regret that the EU has not left technological freedom to manufacturers”, but “we are not going to cry for hours over spilled milk”, he stressed. “We must accelerate the decision that we have all chosen, the transition to the world of the electric car”, proclaimed Bruno Le Maire.
Social leasing is postponed so as not to favor non-European manufacturers
The social leasing of an electric car at 100 euros per month, one of Emmanuel Macron’s campaign promises, has been “postponed” until the end of 2023 because otherwise it would have benefited “foreign vehicles,” Bruno Le Maire said.
This postponement must give European manufacturers time to have “the most accessible offer possible”, and “the EU must give its approval so that we can subsidize these vehicles”, added the minister.
Source: BFM TV
