MADRID – The European Union (EU)'s plan to impose additional duties on Chinese electric vehicles (EVs) may undermine the Spanish market's competitiveness and the transition to more sustainable mobility, an executive of Spain's major auto dealers association has said.
"A tariff increase could affect the import of Chinese electric vehicles and thus the competitiveness of the Spanish market," Raul Morales, communications director of the Federation of Automotive Dealers Associations (Faconauto), told Xinhua in a recent interview.
Faconauto, which has almost 6,000 points of sale all over Spain, believes that "competition is always good, especially in a sector such as the automotive industry."
"It is about achieving the balance of protecting local manufacturers without hindering access to the European market for more affordable EVs, which can be quite important when it comes to accelerating the arrival of electric vehicles and moving towards more sustainable mobility," he said.
Some Spanish customers are considering buying electric vehicles as Chinese EVs enter the market with more competitive prices, said Morales, "which is what we are lacking now to boost electrification."
Competition is "a good lever for a broader base of citizens to consider buying an electric vehicle," Morales noted.
He also pointed out that European manufacturers have had to adapt very quickly to very strong environmental requirements that have made them lose competitiveness.
Not all countries within the EU are in favor of imposing tariffs and, furthermore, the distribution sector "does have an interest in Chinese brands coming to Europe," said the executive. (Xinhua)
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