The latest news about the crisis in electric car sales in Europe has been following each other. Similarly, the green transition on the truck side has also faced headwinds, notes Martin Lundstedt.
I think it's a short-term problematic situation now, maybe for the next... hard to say, but in the coming years, he says in connection with the Industry Day in Gothenburg.
According to Martin Lundstedt, there is currently an imbalance between supply and demand, which means that manufacturers' green alternatives are not selling in sufficient volumes.
Our customers have relatively tough margins, so it has to be worth making a green choice. If those parameters aren't there, there's no demand and then you get low volumes, he says.
"We have no choice"
Therefore, the Volvo CEO is calling for clearer and faster political decisions.
Europe must come to grips with sustainable competitiveness that is long-term and more workshop than powerpoints, says Martin Lundstedt.
We have no choice. We have to transform this society and we have to do it quickly. We see it among our customers and customers' customers that it's what they want, but they need to have competitive solutions.
Volvo Cars CEO Jim Rowan agrees when he is interviewed on stage later and calls for, among other things, better infrastructure for charging.
There has been far too much talk about what we need to do and too little talk about how we're going to do it. It applies to both industry and governments.
"Bend in the curve"
The electrification of industry has been debated lately. Not least after battery manufacturer Northvolt's crisis. At the same time, AB Volvo has postponed plans for a new battery factory in Mariestad and Volvo Cars has backed away from the goal of being fully electric by 2030.
In Germany, giant Volkswagen is in crisis, and competition from the USA and Asia is extremely tough. To TT, Ulf Kristersson (M) describes the situation as a bend in the curve.
I perceive that everyone is entirely unanimous about the direction. Electrification is the way to go. But there is uncertainty about the exact pace, and that's not surprising, says the Prime Minister.
TT: What can the government do to support the industry?
We must ensure that we have an energy distribution and energy production that can handle our fossil-free needs, and we're not there yet. As long as we have such fundamental problems, many other things will almost be perceived as a luxury problem, says Ulf Kristersson.
