ACEA President Luca de Meo Pushes for Environment-Friendly Alternatives to Electric Vehicles

There are alternative solutions to the electric car, just as environmentally friendly, but Europe does not want to listen to anyone. This opinion was expressed at a meeting with journalists by Luca de Meo, CEO of the Renault concern and president of ACEA, the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association.
De Meo spoke about his vision for the future of motor vehicles. The top manager explained the weaknesses that European automakers have in terms of competitiveness and also dwelled on possible alternative solutions to electric vehicles. These solutions were presented by automakers, but, alas, without due persuasiveness, so the representatives of the European Union did not want to listen to any of it.
According to the head of the Renault concern, European institutions see the situation in a very fragmentary way and look only into the nearest future. In reality, the future is much more complex, and we must think in terms of technological neutrality, that is, not to impose one single line, but to let the market decide which of the possible directions is best to follow.
Focusing solely on electric cars is especially disadvantageous for European manufacturers: competition with China, according to de Meo, as reported by the Italian newspaper La Stampa, “is not an equal competition. First of all, China controls the raw materials needed for the production of electric vehicles. Europe controls 2% of these resources and will probably control 5% in ten years. The Renault concern survived world wars, pandemics, and has existed for more than a century. Clearly, this is like a game of 11 players against 15.”
In addition, the significantly lower labor costs in China must also be taken into consideration. Luca de Meo – an Italian top manager, one of the most respected experts in the automotive industry, given his experience first in FIAT, then in the Volkswagen group, and now in the Renault group – has also drawn attention to how electricity is produced in the world and especially in China, where the use of coal-fired power plants still predominates.
And finally, the moment for self-criticism has come: the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association simply did not have the courage to announce alternatives to electricity and explain, for example, how the efuel – an environmentally friendly fuel – could become available to people today.