[REVISION HISTORY]

Romanian auto slump deepens amid energy crisis

Updated 7 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

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2026-08-05 11:55 UTC → 2026-08-05 14:44 UTC · added ~~removed~~

Renault confirmed in May 2026 that it will not expand the Dacia plant in Mioveni, cancelling a capacity increase and shifting new models to Turkey and Slovenia. Production fell from a 2024 record of 309,000 cars to about 297,000 in 2025, and Dacia’s market share slipped to a historic low of 18.2 %. The first half of 2026 saw a 12.7 % decline in total vehicle assembly, driven by a 17.7 % fall at Dacia and a 6.6 % drop at Ford. Renault announced a voluntary lay‑off programme for roughly 900 workers and accelerated the shift toward electric models. CEO François Provost described an “unprecedented crisis” at Mioveni and outlined priorities to improve plant competitiveness, speed up the RTR platform transformation, launch a new Sandero family, and seek stronger auto‑policy support. A severe drought in early August lowered Danube ~~levels,~~ levels to historic lows, limiting cooling water for the Cernavodă nuclear plant. ~~Government actions~~ One reactor unit was shut down and the remaining unit ran at reduced capacity; the government allocated emergency water‑management funds and raised river flow ~~by two centimetres but Unit 2 remained under pressure, prompting interim prime minister~~ modestly. Interim Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan ~~to call for voluntary energy‑saving measures.~~ announced that Dacia and Ford would voluntarily ~~halted~~ suspend production until 19 August, ~~cutting an estimated~~ saving roughly 200 MW of ~~demand; retailers also reduced~~ electricity. Large retail chains cut air‑conditioning and night‑time advertising lighting, and municipalities such as Brașov and Vintilă Vodă reduced public lighting. A decree to enforce broader voluntary consumption limits for ~~other~~ high‑usage firms is being prepared. Dacia CEO Katrin Adt warned that Europe has lost about three million new cars since 2019 and urged EU regulators to pause new obligations. She highlighted a September “Spring” launch and a new Striker model priced under €25,000, while pushing competitive electric offerings. Industrial turnover in May fell 15 % year‑on‑year, with auto manufacturing down 31.6 %. Ford later clarified that its Romanian plant shutdown was a pre‑planned summer break, not an energy‑crisis response, and criticized the government’s portrayal of the pause as an emergency measure.

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