The agreement reached in June to manufacture the electric Fiat Grande Panda has been harshly criticized by environmentalists and Serbian opposition groups, who maintain that it will cause irreversible environmental damage and bring little benefit to citizens.
Last Monday it was inaugurated in Kragujevac a new production line of the electric version of the Fiat Big Panda. It is destined to become the first mass-produced electric car in Serbiawith production scheduled to start this October.
Its launch occurs after an agreement on lithium reached with the EU at the beginning of July in Belgradewhich could reduce European dependence on China and bring closer Serbia, which maintains close ties with Moscow and Beijing, to Brussels.
Harsh criticism from environmentalists
However, this agreement has been harshly criticized by environmentalists and by Serbian opposition groups, who maintain that would cause irreversible damage to the environment and would bring few benefits to its citizens.
According to him United States Geological Survey of 2023, Serbia is estimated to have around 1.2 million tons of lithium reservesa fundamental mineral for manufacture electric batteriesas The transition to zero-emission vehicles accelerates.
What is Fiat’s new electric Grande Panda going to be like?
For him Fiat Grand Panda vehiclethe Stellantis group said that It took two years to adapt the Kragujevac plant so it could produce electric vehicles. The Big Panda incorporates distinctive LED lights and an interior made with recycled materials.
After leaving the Kragujevac production line, the cars will be delivered to dealerships in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
Carlos Tavares, CEO of Stellantis, states that Your company is ready to face the challenge of whatChinese electric vehicle manufacturers. “At Stellantis we are ready for battle,” she says.
“Let’s show them thatand we are workers. Let’s show them that we have the right technology. “We are going to show them that we are a very fierce competitor.”
The president of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, was at the inauguration of the new test production line. “I congratulate you on this great day. I congratulate everyone in Serbia. I am proud of our Serbia, proud of Fiat and proud of Stellantis,” he says.
“I am proud of our cooperation, which is not always simple and easy, and We love that fighting spirit that we have seen here today. We will not lack it, and we will fight and work hard to reach the most developed countries in Europe and the world.”
The Stellantis group, which sold 1.35 million vehicles worldwide Last year, it recently reported that its net profits halved in the first half of the year, due largely to lower sales and the restructuring costs.
Created in 2021 from the merger of Fiat-Chrysler with PSA Peugeotthe Franco-Italian multinational registered net profits of 5.6 billion euros in the period, 48% less than the 11,000 million in the same period of the previous year.
Thousands protest in Serbia over lithium deal
Meanwhile, on Monday Thousands of people demonstrated in several cities in Serbia to protest a lithium excavation project that the Government of the Balkan country recently signed with the European Union.
Protests were held simultaneously in the western city of Šabac and in the central cities of Kraljevo, Arandjelovac, Ljig and Barajevo.
Was Similar concentrations in other Serbian cities in the last weeks. The Serbia’s largest lithium reserve It is located in a western valley rich in fertile land and water. The multinational Rio Tinto had started an exploration project several years ago in the area, which aroused enormous opposition and forced it to be suspended.
Earlier this month, however, the Constitutional Court of Serbia canceled the previous Government decision to cancel a $2.4 billion mining project (2,210 million euros) initiated by the British-Australian mining company in the Jadar valley, paving the way for its reactivation.
Vučić ha declarado que excavations will not begin before 2028 and that the Government will seek firm environmental guarantees before authorizing them.
