Stellantis 'to make 1mn cars or another maker inevitable'

(ANSA) - ROME, APR 11 - Stellantis must make at least one million cars in Italy or another maker is "inevitable" amid talks with Tesla and three Chinese manufacturers, Business and Made in Industry Minister Adolfo Urso said Thursday after Stellantis CEO Carlo Tavares said Wednesday there could be possible plant closures if the Chinese arrive.
    "We are working to enable Stellantis to produce at least one million vehicles in our country," said Urso in reply to Tavares.
    "To support the supply chain system, it is absolutely necessary to reach 1.4 million vehicles.
    "If Stellantis believes it can do so, well and good, otherwise it is inevitable that there will be room for another car manufacturer or companies.
    "We are a free market and we can and must incentivise Italian or foreign investment, obviously within the rules of the free market, and on this we are talking to those who consider building production plants in Europe." Urso also slammed Stellantis' plans to make its new Alfa Romeo Milano in Poland.
    "A car called Milan cannot be produced in Poland," he said.
    "This is forbidden by the Italian law that defined Italian Sounding in 2003, a law that states that you must not give indications that mislead the consumer.
    "They would be fallacious indications explicitly linked to geographical indications.
    "So a car called Milano must be produced in Italy, otherwise you are giving a fallacious indication that is not allowed by Italian law," argued Urso. (ANSA).