The CEO of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles says COVID-19 is the biggest risk the auto industry has ever faced and he and the association he leads are calling on governments to spend pandemic recovery dollars to boost electric vehicles and other types of alternatively powered cars in order to meet climate goals.
Mike Manley, who is also president of the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association, spoke during an online conference Tuesday. A news release from the association noted that car sales in Europe are forecast to drop by a historic 25% in 2020 and that production there is down by 4 million vehicles this year to date.
“The COVID pandemic is clearly the biggest single risk ever to face the auto industry. It is adding massive pressures on our sector at a time when it is navigating fundamental technological shifts, as well as the prospect of a no-deal Brexit. We urgently need to find ways to pull through this with minimum damage to jobs and investments, while at the same time keeping strong focus on the climate challenge,” Manley said, according to the release.
Read the article at Detroit Free Press.
