PARIS -- Stellantis said it will leave Europe’s main automotive lobbying group, ACEA, by the end of this year, as part of a new approach to addressing issues and challenges of future mobility, including a shift away from traditional lobbying activity.
The automaker, with 14 automotive brands, said Monday that it is planning an annual "Freedom of Mobility” event, with the first one scheduled for early 2023. The event’s goal is to identify "how to bring clean, safe, and affordable freedom of mobility for society in the face of global warming implications.”
The event comes as the 27 EU countries prepare to vote on a proposal that would ban sales of new internal-combustion passenger cars starting from 2035.
"We intend to create a public forum in which contributors can come together to address the key questions surrounding the debate on decarbonized mobility and provide actionable next steps for us to take together,” CEO Carlos Tavares said in a statement.
Tavares is a former president of ACEA, which represents the 16 major European car, truck and bus constructors. The group does not include newcomers such as Tesla and several Asian brands, including Suzuki and Subaru. Stellantis would be the first key automaker to withdraw from the Brussels-based group, which advocates for the industry at the European Union.
“While the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) respects the decision of Stellantis to withdraw its membership of the association at the end of this year, we regret to see them leave," the group said in a statement. "We remain committed to act as a strong common voice of EU-based car, truck, van and bus makers."
Sigrid de Vries, currently the secretary general at the suppliers' lobbying group CLEPA, will become director general at ACEA starting in September.
Reuters contributed to this report
