(Bloomberg) -- The chief executive of Mercedes-Benz Group AG called for an easing of emissions rules and is backing Mario Draghi’s proposals to boost European competitiveness, according to an interview published on Sunday.
Ola Kaellenius told Handelsblatt journalists that the German automaker agrees with the position of the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA), of which it’s a member, calling for “urgent action” ahead of emissions targets that could cost the industry billions of euros in fines.
“We cannot ignore customer preferences,” Kaellenius told the German newspaper. With a stagnating share of fully electric cars in Europe, the CO2 targets for 2025 are “hardly achievable,” he said.
Kaellenius said that he would “almost unreservedly endorse” a recent report from Draghi, the former European Central Bank president, on how to improve competitiveness in the region.
This comes as the automotive industry is struggling with headwinds in the form of tariffs and a weakening economy in China. Mercedes posted a profit warning on Thursday, citing weakness in the Asian nation as the main cause of its woes.
Kaellenius said the Stuttgart-based carmaker was “on track” with its cost-cutting plans, adding that “no company is static.”
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