MUNICH (Reuters) - Stellantis expects a major battle with Chinese rivals in the European market for electric vehicles and expects significant social consequences as a result, the group's Chief Executive Carlos Tavares said on Wednesday.

"We are not talking about a Darwinian period, we are in it," Tavares said at the Reuters Events Automotive Europe conference, adding the price battle with Asian rivals would be "very tough".

(Reporting by Joseph White and Christoph Steitz, Editing by Rachel More)