Renault CEO says hasty mandate for EVs could hurt the environment: Report

Renault CEO Luca de Meo believes hasty mandates to adopt electric vehicles soon could hurt the environment. His comment comes at a time when several automakers have been rushing to shift towards electric powertrain technologies from conventional internal combustion engine technologies. Also, it comes at a time when several countries around the world have been setting deadlines for the automakers to adopt EV technology.

Luca de Meo advocated for calculated steps towards the shift to EV technology from current ICE technologies. While talking to The Financial Times, he also said that Renault is committed to electric vehicles but EVs are yet to reach price parity with ICE vehicles and may not reach that level for quite some time considering the rising raw material prices.

He said that Renault is obviously very committed to electric vehicles. He also indicated that when it comes to zero-emission powertrain technologies, the hydrogen fuel cell is one of the good options. “We started very early here, and we continue to believe that EV and maybe hydrogen can be a good solution for some applications," he said, further adding that the internal combustion engine vehicle sales, including hybrids, are yet to reach their peak. "There are challenges, across societal, financial and ecological perspectives that should be considered," de Meo further added.

He also noted that the lifeCO2 emissions of electric vehicles should be considered closely. "There is the lifetime CO2 – the cradle-to-grave figure – for a car, the answer to which is not so obvious. Some alternative fuels, or hybrids, can be cleaner than EVs on these measurements," he added. “And then there is the financial accessibility of EVs. We see price parity around 2025, but now that might have moved because of raw material inflation," de Meo added.