Stellantis boss Carlos Tavares reckons rapid EV acceleration is actually a safety feature

On Friday last week, the megacorp that is Stellantis unveiled its new STLA Large platform that can house twin-motor, all-wheel drive electric powertrains and – when equipped as such – will apparently be able to manage 0-62mph sprints in just two seconds.

Obviously, it’s no surprise that EVs are really rather quick in a straight line, but when questioned on the need for such speed, Stellantis boss Carlos Tavares told journalists that it should actually be regarded as a safety feature.

“I am living on a farm in the deep countryside of Portugal, and I often drive on the small roads around here,” said Tavares.

“The acceleration power is first a matter of safety. It is first a matter of overtaking in safe conditions, making sure that you can change lanes, you can overtake a truck on a two-lane road. So, it is not necessarily about speed. It's about acceleration power to overtake in safe conditions, and we are very happy that the electric vehicles carry that kind of capability.”

Interesting take. Stellantis has set itself a target of 100 per cent EV sales in Europe and 50 per cent in the US before the end of the current decade, so its upcoming STLA platforms (which will come in Small, Medium, Large and Frame forms) are rather important indeed.

“I think it's something that customers can enjoy,” said Tavares on EVs and acceleration. “And there is nothing more difficult than starting to overtake a truck and then having to jump on the brakes because you just discovered that the acceleration of the car you’re driving is not good enough to overtake in safe conditions.

"So, you jump back on the brakes, and you go back behind the truck. The acceleration capability for us is first a safety measure. The more acceleration you have, the safer the conditions under which you overtake can be, and from that perspective the BEV technology is great as we all know.”

Our current question is can Stellantis make an EV that’s as fun to drive as something like the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N? Well, we can’t wait for Alfa’s uses of the new platforms…