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Carlos Tavares
Photo: Stefano Guidi / Getty Images
Opel parent Stellantis does not want to be drawn into a price war with other car manufacturers.
"If you lower prices without taking the actual costs into account, there will be a bloodbath," said CEO Carlos Tavares to the Financial Times.
His company is one of the most profitable in the industry and is protected against a drop in prices.
Other car manufacturers, on the other hand, could get into difficulties, making them a possible target for takeovers.
"I know a company that has brutally cut prices and its profitability has collapsed brutally," he said, without elaborating.
Industry observers interpreted this as a reference to Tesla.
Shortly before, according to the report, the car manufacturer Ford announced that the company wanted to reduce production of its F-150 Lightning model, which is popular in the USA, due to weak sales figures.
They want to bring vehicle production in line with customer demand and expect “continued growth in global EV sales in 2024, albeit less than expected,” quotes the Financial Times.
Manufacturers find it difficult to offer their customers affordable vehicles - and at the same time defend and sustainably secure their profitability, Tavares told SPIEGEL in November and is waiting for the consequences of the electric transition.
If manufacturers do not manage to “escape this dilemma, it will end badly.”
According to a report in the trade journal "Auto, Motor und Sport", several manufacturers have capped their prices for some electric cars since the state purchase bonus was abolished, including Volkswagen, the Renault subsidiary Dacia and Tesla.
The Stellantis brand Citroën had also reduced prices.
ani/Reuters