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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Rilassare...senza fretta!