Stellantis pulls back on Dare Forward pledge

STELLANTIS chief operating officer Jean-Philippe Imparato told media gathered at this week’s Munich Motor Show the company will no longer pursue a target of producing only electric vehicles by 2030.

Declaring the European Union’s CO2 emissions targets for 2035 “no longer achievable for any carmaker”, Mr Imparato said the parent company of 14 car brands has officially scrapped plans to go all-electric by the end of the decade.

The decision sees Stellantis join a growing litany of vehicle manufacturers that have pulled back on, or cancelled entirely, decisions to transition to a fully electric model range.

Early this year, Alfa Romeo (a Stellantis brand) cancelled its plans to go all-electric by 2027, citing the need for ICE drivelines in export markets including the United States.

Another Stellantis brand, Fiat, also said it would shift away from fully electrifying its compact 500 range, admitted a “more pragmatic response” was required to arrest slowing sales.

Aston Martin likewise delayed its EV program, adding a further five years to its self-imposed scheduled.

Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz all announced a recalibration of their future plans, admitting EV sales had not accelerated as briskly as anticipated. Mercedes-Benz also announced it would pull back on the number of EQ (electric models) it produced after slower than expected sales across its EQE and EQS lines.

Mercedes-Benz also recommitted to both V8 and V12 petrol engine production, signalling a less-than-favourable response to turbocharged four-cylinder and electrically-assisted alternatives.

In May, Honda announced it would slash its BEV budget by approximately $32A billion in response to slower than expected uptake of electric cars.

Troubled British prestige car group Jaguar Land Rover also admitted it jumped the gun on going all-electric, saying it would postpone moves to go all-electric until demand picked up, while Lotus last week announced it would cut 550 jobs citing a retraction in the demand for electric vehicles and a “rapidly evolving automotive environment” for its decision.

Lotus is not the only sportscar manufacturer to struggle with greening its image. Earlier this month, Porsche said it has scrapped plans to go ahead with a new EV battery plant, again citing slowing EV demand and “changing conditions in China and the United States” as the root cause.

It is the fourth time Porsche has announced a roll-back of its EV program, admitting in July 2025, February 2025, and July 2024 that it went too hard, too soon on the switch to all-electric.

Mini is likewise considering a rollback of its BEV ambitions, noting in February 2025 that “uncertainties” around the uptake of electric vehicles had forced a rethink of its plans.

Smart also poured water on its EV ambitions in January, saying it would add a petrol-powered range extended to its #5 range to help meet sales targets, while Geely-owned Volvo also announced it would delay its move to produce only electric vehicles saying consumer sentiment had forced a change in tack.

US tariffs and policy changes have also seen General Motors and Ram Trucks (a Stellantis company) turn back the clock on V8 engine development with both announcing hefty investments in future ICE production. Ram further announced delays to both its Ramcharger and1500 range extender vehicles (REVs).

Yet another Stellantis company, Dodge, withdrew its entry-grade Charger R/T electric car citing poor demand.

Ford also signalled it will focus more heavily on range extender vehicles as sales of its F-150 Lightning failed to hit the mark.

Cupra, Canoo, Fisker, Ineos, and others have postponed or been forced from the market entirely, while others consolidate to survive. It’s a situation that all but hands the lead to Chinese EV makers as the global car market struggles to adapt to a climate of change.