Hyperdrive
France’s Top Carmaker Envies Tesla as the Country Woos EV Rivals
Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares is clashing with government officials courting automotive ‘newcomers.’
Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares.
Photographer: Nathan Laine/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Elon Musk got the red-carpet treatment when the Tesla Inc. chief executive officer visited France in mid-May.
A Model X drove Musk right up to the Elysée Palace for a meeting with President Emmanuel Macron, who tried talking the CEO into setting up shop in the country. Musk was then whisked away to the Palace of Versailles, where he was the star guest among 200 business leaders invited to discuss new investments. Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire snapped a selfie with the billionaire and posted it on LinkedIn with the hashtag #ChooseFrance.