On October 12, 2026, called on European regulators to create stronger incentives for carmakers that build vehicles in the region, as faces intensifying competition from Chinese rivals.
Filosa has run since 2025. He spoke to CNBC ahead of the Paris Motor Show about the company's declining sales and China's acceleration in the European market.
The policy he named is , proposed legislation drawn up by the that would require carmakers to meet minimum local content requirements to sell in the regional market. Filosa said the rules should reward companies that design and engineer cars in Europe.
is in the middle of a $70 billion turnaround as it struggles with declining demand. Its shares are down almost 60% since the start of 2026.
Chinese car brands are gaining ground fast. Their global auto-sales share jumped by nearly 70% from 2020 to 2025, according to . Their share of European car sales was close to zero in 2020 and reached 12% in August 2026.
On October 9, 2026, European trade commissioner said China had agreed to halve its exports of hybrid cars to the bloc, after Beijing had repeatedly rejected the request.
China reversed a refusal it had held for years, which tells you the found leverage it had not used before.
European carmakers rose on the news. added 2.7%, was up around 3%, and parts supplier also rose in early trading.
A spokesperson for said the two sides had reached "several consensuses and achievements" on trade and investment.
One principle in the agreement is : no measures will specifically target or discriminate against Chinese companies, and China's quota will not be lower than that of any other import source for the EU.