“Let me reassure you that all the things required to make the numbers are in fact in place and available.”
If you haven’t had a chance to listen to Wednesday’s FCA Group earnings call, you missed FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne address head on the CO2 emissions criticism that FCA US has taken in recent weeks.
“We all know there is a desire to bring down CO2 emissions,” Marchionne said to analysts and media. “There appears to be some concern that we do not have adequate technologies to deal with this. Let me reassure you that all the things required to make the numbers are in fact in place and available.”
While Marchionne has expressed concern about the cost of manufacturing electric vehicles, saying this week that “electrification of our world is not avoidable,” he is a proponent of alternative fuels. He’s also a pragmatist and is confident that, across the globe, FCA will develop hybrids and plug-in vehicles.
“We continue to develop hybrids and plug-ins throughout the plan. The objective is to optimize and leverage the knowhow of the group across its regions to ensure that we achieve the least cost compliant scheme we can,” he said.
The proof is in the updated five-year plan. For now, FCA relies heavily on Jeep SUVs, Ram Truck pickups and minivans. For 2015, those three vehicle types (generally grouped as “truck” platform) made up 77% of FCA US sales. So, it makes sense that we add more fuel-efficient powertrain options for those vehicles (image).
While other automakers may focus on EV and hybrid technology for their cars, we’re taking green technology where the market is headed.
Note: See our media site for the FCA US official statement from December on GHG emissions and fuel economy.
