Stellantis unimpressed by EU emissions target changes, says Pedro Lazarino

Recent tweaks to the European Union’s timetable and method for calculating emissions targets have done little to win over Stellantis.

Pedro Lazarino, the group’s Managing Director in Portugal, said that what came out of Brussels “was a whole lot of nothing”. “The fines are still there. We can’t ease off the pressure on electrification.” He was referring to the penalties car makers must pay in 2027, which he says are already sitting on the books awaiting payment - leaving no room to cut prices.

The remarks were made at Auto Talks, Razão Automóvel’s new editorial stage at the ECAR Show – Hybrid and Electric Motor Show, in Lisbon. They reflect the automotive industry’s growing unease about what it sees as a lack of clarity and consistency from European policy-makers.

EU emissions targets: what changed on paper

By way of background, the sector was originally expected to hit an average of 93.6 g/km of CO_2 by the end of this year. Under the new rule, however, only the cumulative three-year average will be counted: from the start of 2025 through to the end of 2027.

“Nothing has changed and it seems that the decision-makers in Brussels are a bit immune to what’s happening around them.”

Pedro Lazarino, Managing Director of Stellantis

Building the house from the roof down

Asked whether he felt Brussels had started by “building the house from the roof down” when it comes to making cars fully electric, Lazarino answered plainly: “yes”.

“We’re in an industry that doesn’t react very quickly. We need a clear horizon. What is it that we want to do? Look good for the industry or decarbonise the circulating fleet?”, he asked.

Portugal’s ageing car fleet and the case for a wider scrappage incentive

As an example, he pointed to Portugal’s car parc, which has an average age of more than 14 years. In Lazarino’s view, this is a structural problem that is not being tackled. He highlighted scrappage incentives as part of the solution, while warning that they need to be reviewed and expanded.

According to the Stellantis executive, any expansion should make the incentive available to all electrified powertrains, not only 100% electric vehicles. He also argued that it should be extended to used cars, provided they have one year of registration.

Stellantis’ lifeline: multi-energy platforms

With uncertainty still hanging over the market, Stellantis is sticking with its multi-energy platform strategy: “with the same platform, the same production line, with no changes at all, we can build petrol, Diesel, electric, electrified cars etc”. The Peugeot 308 was cited as an example.

In Lazarino’s words, multi-energy platforms are “our lifeline for managing all these complexities”. This approach has enabled the company to pivot quickly between different market realities, while also responding to regulatory demands.

“We’ll continue to invest in multi-energy platforms; we believe it’s the best way to be ready for a future that is still uncertain.”

Pedro Lazarino, Managing Director of Stellantis

Even while restating its commitment to electrification, he confirmed the brand has recently made adjustments to its line-up, bringing combustion engines back to models that were initially planned to be 100% electric. “We’re going to have a FIAT 500 mild-hybrid again, which we had withdrawn from sale.” He also said Stellantis “will launch other mild-hybrid products that were not initially planned”.