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- When every vehicle starts looking like a smooth, anonymous pod (think about it – can you really tell a Model 3 from a Model Y at a glance.
- It was something intangible – the way the door sounded when it closed, the growl of the engine, or maybe just how it made you feel when you got behind the wheel.
- ” But there’s a catch – the market needs to be willing to pay for that differentiation, and regulations need to allow it at a viable cost.
The automotive world just got a reality check from an unexpected source. Luca de Meo, CEO of Renault Group, recently made waves by comparing Tesla vehicles to household appliances. “A Tesla is like a refrigerator,” he stated bluntly during a recent presentation. His message was clear: modern cars are losing their soul.
This wasn’t just another executive throwing shade at competitors. De Meo’s comments strike at something deeper that many car enthusiasts feel but struggle to articulate. When every vehicle starts looking like a smooth, anonymous pod (think about it – can you really tell a Model 3 from a Model Y at a glance?), something magical gets lost in translation.
The emotion equation that automakers forgot
De Meo’s formula is simple: every car needs an “E” for emotion. “If we make all cars the same, we’ll make them ordinary,” he explained while promoting his book Sentimental Dictionary of the Automobile in Barcelona. The Italian executive believes that automotive emotion is what separates memorable vehicles from mere transportation appliances.
Think about your first car or that vehicle that made you fall in love with driving. Chances are, it wasn’t because of its 0-60 time or fuel efficiency ratings. It was something intangible – the way the door sounded when it closed, the growl of the engine, or maybe just how it made you feel when you got behind the wheel.
European opportunity in the age of automotive homogenization
De Meo sees this design standardization trend as Europe’s golden opportunity. “We know how to make cars with soul, with history,” he argues. “We have that emotional touch.” But there’s a catch – the market needs to be willing to pay for that differentiation, and regulations need to allow it at a viable cost.
The Renault boss isn’t anti-electric vehicle, though. He’s quick to point out that saying electric cars are boring is nonsense. Take the upcoming Renault 5 Turbo – despite its nostalgic name, it’s 100% electric with 740 horsepower and a drift mode. “Trust me, it’s anything but boring,” he promises.
When refrigerators ruled the roads
The Tesla-refrigerator comparison wasn’t just a throwaway line. De Meo genuinely believes that Tesla’s design philosophy lacks personality and character. While Tesla focuses on minimalism and technological efficiency, Renault wants to inject passion back into automotive design.
This criticism echoes what many traditional car enthusiasts have been saying quietly for years. Tesla vehicles, for all their technological prowess, often feel sterile. They’re impressive machines, but do they stir emotions the way a classic muscle car or a perfectly tuned sports car does?
A CEO shaped by automotive romance
De Meo’s passion didn’t emerge from boardroom spreadsheets. His love affair with cars began in December 1973 when he was seven years old, riding in a Lancia Fulvia. That single experience shaped his entire career trajectory through Fiat, Volkswagen, SEAT, and now Renault.
“I’ve always fought against the trivialization of automobiles,” he explains. “People remember the cars they’ve owned and connect them to stages of their lives. We can’t lose that emotional dimension.” (And honestly, isn’t that exactly why we still get excited about cars instead of treating them like washing machines?)
Beyond the boardroom
His book, Sentimental Dictionary of the Automobile, features contributions from Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali and Google CEO Sundar Pichai. It explores how cars have shaped urban development, influenced popular culture, and become deeply embedded in human experience over the past century and a half.
The book also serves a charitable purpose. Proceeds support organizations that help women at risk of social exclusion obtain driver’s licenses, improving their employment opportunities. Similar initiatives in France have helped disadvantaged youth access driving permits.
As the automotive industry rushes toward electrification and autonomous driving, De Meo’s message feels both nostalgic and necessary. Sure, cars need to be efficient, safe, and environmentally responsible. But they also need to make us feel something. Otherwise, we might as well be driving refrigerators.
The question for automakers isn’t whether they can build faster, cleaner, or smarter vehicles. It’s whether they can build cars that people will remember fondly decades from now – cars with that elusive “E” for emotion.
