Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa has urged European regulators to create stronger incentives for carmakers that build in Europe, as Chinese rivals gain ground. Stellantis shares are down almost 60 percent this year as the owner of Jeep and Ram pursues a $70 billion turnaround.
Stellantis chief executive Antonio Filosa called on Monday, October 12, for stronger European incentives for carmakers that manufacture in the region, CNBC reported, ahead of the Paris Motor Show.
What He Asked For
Speaking to CNBC, Filosa said Stellantis supports “a level playing field”. “In concrete terms, it means to work on true regulation… starting from ‘Made in Europe’, that should be regulation that incentivizes, rewards, and protects the ones that are able to demonstrate that they design cars, engineer cars,” he said.
“Made in Europe” refers to proposed European Commission legislation that would require carmakers to meet minimum local-content requirements to sell in the EU.
The Pressure on Stellantis
- Stellantis, whose brands include Jeep and Ram, is in the middle of a $70 billion turnaround strategy as demand falls
- Its shares are down almost 60 percent since the start of the year
- Filosa has led the company since 2025
The Chinese Challenge
Filosa described China’s acceleration in Europe as “impressive” and said Chinese automakers “can really offer many consumers in many segments, good technology, and competitive prices”.
According to GlobalData, Chinese brands’ share of global car sales jumped by nearly 70 percent between 2020 and 2025.
The EU–China Hybrid Deal
EU trade commissioner Maroš Šefčovič said on Friday that China has agreed to halve its exports of hybrid cars to the bloc, after Beijing had repeatedly rejected requests.
European carmakers rose on Monday morning: Stellantis added 2.7 percent and Renault about 3 percent, and parts suppliers Valeo and Forvia also gained.
China’s Commerce Ministry said the two sides had reached “several consensuses and achievements”. One principle was “non-discrimination”: “China’s quota will not be lower than that of any other import source for the EU.”
Why It Matters
Europe’s largest carmakers are being squeezed between falling demand and cheaper Chinese rivals. Whether the EU adopts local-content rules, and how they are written, could shape which of them recover.
Image: A Stellantis dealership selling Jeep, Fiat and other brands in Avellino, Italy (file photo). Photo: Corvettec6r / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
