Bloated electric cars labelled 'environmental nonsense' amid looming China threat.
Growing vehicle sizes amid a push to reduce the environmental impact of transport has been criticised by a high-ranking auto executive.
The rising threat of China on the European new car market has sparked one industry leader to call for better protections for the local industry – while calling out bloated electric vehicles (EVs) as “environmental nonsense”.
In an open letter to European lawmakers, Renault CEO Luca de Meo criticised the endless growth of car sizes and in particular EVs, saying European regulations have effectively killed off small vehicles.
“Driving around every day in an electric vehicle weighing 2.5 tonnes is clearly an environmental nonsense,” Mr de Meo said.
“To find a solution, we should take our inspiration from Japan and its small urban vehicles or ‘kei cars’. From the factory to end-of-life, the environmental impact of a small car is 75 per cent lower.
“[Europe] It should be protecting its markets, but it is dependent on China for its supplies of lithium, nickel and cobalt, and on Taiwan for its semiconductors.
Mr de Meo’s comments come amid heavy tensions between Europe and the Chinese car industry, with the latter being accused of receiving subsidies from its home government in order to cut development and production costs.
The European Commission is also reportedly planning to introduce a system which could result in EVs made in China being hit with tariffs which would bring their prices closer in line with similar models built in Europe.
