TLG - Media, page-5027

They're not opposed to EV's just that the E.U. keeps moving the goal posts forward.

Their primary auto OEMs are Stellantis and Renault. IMO, they're both lagging their German counterparts in the EV transition. I suspect that France is concerned they could get pushed out of the auto market if the transition happens too quickly. The article suggests that France is most concerned about an accelerated phase out of hybrids, probably because Stellantis/Renault have been planning to lean on hybrid sales during the transition to full EV.

Personally, I'm more concerned about the future of Stellantis/Renault than I am with Europe's pace in the EV transition. Ultimately, the market decides. If EVs are cheaper than hybrids by 2025, who's going to buy a hybrid? I suppose some buyers may still want the long-range flexibility of a hybrid (don't need to wait 30 mins for a recharge), but I expect that will be a small segment, particularly in Europe where you can get between most major cities on a single stop to recharge (or no recharge at all).

I expect that a number of major auto OEMs from the ICE era will not succeed in transitioning to the EV era. Will be interesting to see whether Stellantis and Renault continue to thrive or land among the casualties. I'm not encouraged by the apparent plan to lean on hybrids over the next ten years, particularly for autos that are highly dependent on sales in Europe (I think hybrids will have longer legs in America where long-distance travel and big cars are more of a thing).