Currently reading: Renault boss warns against mandating EVs "too soon"
Prematurely switching from combustion engines could damage the environment, says Luca de Meo

Rushing to mandate EV-only car sales too soon could have far-reaching financial, ecological and societal implications, said Renault Group boss Luca de Meo.

Responding to the European Commission’s desire to ban the sale of all new cars powered by fossil fuels by 2035, de Meo told the Financial Times’ Future of the Car summit: “The first thing I want to say is that Renault is obviously very committed to EVs. We started very early here, and we continue to believe that EV and maybe hydrogen can be a good solution for some applications.

“But if you look at the data, it is apparent that combustion-engine sales - including hybrids - have yet to reach their peak. There are challenges, across societal, financial and ecological perspectives that should be considered.

“These are divided down to the batteries, which are good for 85% of typical usage but not for those two or three longer journeys a year.

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