PSA boss Carlos Tavares: electric cars could be more problematic than people think

The switch from the combustion engine to electrified powertrains will bring greater societal issues than the car industry alone can either consider or address, PSA Group CEO Carlos Tavares has warned.

Outlining his firm’s strategy to have half its cars electrified in some form by 2020, and to offer a fully electrified line up by 2025, Tavares highlighted his concerns that the pivot to electrification wasn’t being driven by a full understanding of the consequences.

“What I wonder about is who is taking the 360-degree view?” said Tavares. “There is so much more to consider than selling electrified cars, from the battery creation to the battery recycling, from the rare metals being used to the extraction techniques to get them, to what it means for taxation, the total cost of ownership, the charging point infrastructure and more. If you want clean energy you need to ask how you produce that energy.

“From my perspective, the current strategy around this 360-degree view is lacking clarity. The car industry is moving quickly and strongly, but from cities to governments I am a little worried that the answer is that nobody has a cohesive approach. If they miss something then the whole strategy could backfire on us, not just as an industry but on citizens as a whole.”