Stellantis CEO pledges to maintain all French factories through 2030

Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa has assured that the company does not plan to close any of its 12 factories in France within the next five years. Speaking at the Medef's Rencontre des Entrepreneurs de France, Filosa addressed concerns regarding industrial overcapacity in Europe and the transition to electric vehicles.

To maintain production levels and secure employment, Stellantis is pursuing strategic partnerships with Chinese manufacturers. A key example is the agreement with Dongfeng to produce electric vehicles at the Rennes-La Janais plant in France. Under this arrangement, Stellantis will hold a 51% majority stake in the joint venture, manage distribution through its own network, and ensure the new models do not directly compete with its existing product lineup.

Filosa defended the move against critics who suggested the partnership could act as a ‘Trojan horse’ for Chinese industry. He characterized the cooperation as an ‘intelligent’ way to utilize underused production lines and maintain current employment levels amidst a shrinking European automotive market.