Jeep maker Stellantis NV says it's withdrawing from the European Automobile Manufacturers Association at the end of the year and will create its own forum to engage with industry stakeholders on the future of transportation.
The company in a statement on Monday said it's "shifting towards a more direct interaction with the citizens and stakeholders." The association, known under its French acronym ACEA, has been the industry's focal lobbying group in Europe since its creation in 1991. It's made up of 16 major car, bus, truck and van makers.
The more direct approach, Stellantis says, is the "Freedom of Mobility Forum," an event it expects to hold yearly starting in early 2023. The goal will be to create a space for debate on solutions to industry problems coordinated by mobility and technology providers, academics, politicians and scientists.
