British and European car makers have to collaborate if they to avoid being swept away by a tide of Chinese electric vehicle imports, the boss of French group Renault has warned.
Luca de Meo, Renault’s chief executive, accused Europe of punishing its car makers with fines and deadlines while China and the US were throwing subsidies at theirs.
Shenzhen-based BYD is spearheading the EV drive, having become embroiled in a fierce price war in its market with local rival and Elon Musk’s Tesla, which is a major brand at the top end of the market.
In an article in Autocar, Meo said: “The UK may no longer be part of the EU, but on this issue I think we face the same challenges together.
“It is very simple: strip out the automotive industry and Europe will find itself with a structural trade deficit.
“With the internal combustion engine, our leadership was undisputed.
“Today, Europeans find themselves in a position of relative fragility.”
Meo pointed to China’s dominance in battery production and emissions rules being watered down across Europe,
Europe needed a “one-stop shop” for regulation on zero-emission vehicles, rather than different rules in various countries, he said, alongside more government support.
He advocates a hybrid model between private initiative and public intervention.
Chinese cars had taken 10% of the European EV market by the second half of last year, according to Schmidt Automotive Research.