Currently reading: Fiat Chrysler cautious over electric vehicles and autonomous cars

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles boss Sergio Marchionne says his company won't rush in offering electric and self-driving car technology before its time

The Fiat Chrysler Automobiles group isn’t getting carried away by hurriedly developing new technologies such as electric and autonomous vehicles, boss Sergio Marchionne confirmed at the Geneva motor show.

He did say that electric vehicles would come as they were ultimately a legislative necessity, but there was still great work to do on internal combustion engines.

To that end, he is disappointed at Paris’s future plans to ban diesel cars from the city, saying that Euro 5 and Euro 6 emissions regulations meant diesel engines had “already been scraped clean”.

“I’ve no problem with people setting standards, but I do have one with dictating technology,” he said.

On self-driving vehicles, he said a high degree of autonomy was likely by the end of the decade but fully autonomous cars would be a long way off, due to legislative hurdles.

“We need to be careful not to get carried away with new technology and make sure it is always relevant,” he cautioned. “Never underestimate the existing structure underneath, also.” 

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Mark Tisshaw

mark-tisshaw-autocar
Title: Editor

Mark is a journalist with more than a decade of top-level experience in the automotive industry. He first joined Autocar in 2009, having previously worked in local newspapers. He has held several roles at Autocar, including news editor, deputy editor, digital editor and his current position of editor, one he has held since 2017.

From this position he oversees all of Autocar’s content across the print magazine, autocar.co.uk website, social media, video, and podcast channels, as well as our recent launch, Autocar Business. Mark regularly interviews the very top global executives in the automotive industry, telling their stories and holding them to account, meeting them at shows and events around the world.

Mark is a Car of the Year juror, a prestigious annual award that Autocar is one of the main sponsors of. He has made media appearances on the likes of the BBC, and contributed to titles including What Car?Move Electric and Pistonheads, and has written a column for The Sun.

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Daniel Joseph 6 March 2015

Rilassare...senza fretta!

It's not obvious that FCA is hurriedly developing anything, at least in Europe, where the desperately needed Punto and Bravo replacements are nowhere to be seen and the new rear-drive Alfas are very late. Can't say I'm salivating over the prospect of the rebodied MX-5 either; I'd sooner buy the genuine article.