Stellantis Mulls Sale or Sharing of Rennes, Cassino and Madrid Plants
Stellantis is negotiating sale or capacity-sharing deals for its Rennes, Cassino and Madrid plants to address surplus European production capacity. Discussions include renewed partnerships with Dongfeng and other Chinese automakers and planned Poissy facility conversion ending output after 2028, with potential job losses.
1. Strategic Review of European Plants
Stellantis has initiated a strategic review of its European manufacturing footprint, targeting underutilized plants including Rennes in France, Cassino in Italy and Madrid in Spain for potential sale or capacity-sharing arrangements to optimize production utilization across its network of about 20 assembly sites.
2. Partnership Talks with Dongfeng and Other Automakers
The company is exploring renewed joint manufacturing ventures with Dongfeng Motor and fielding interest from other Chinese carmakers, with discussions covering technology access and shared factory operations in both Europe and China.
3. Poissy Plant Conversion and Workforce Impact
Stellantis plans to cease vehicle production at the Poissy facility after 2028 to reconfigure the plant, a move expected to prompt job cuts and affect suppliers such as Lear, Forvia and OPMobility.
4. Political and Market Reactions
Potential deals with Chinese partners have drawn political attention in France ahead of next year’s presidential election, while Italy has signaled support for foreign investment; labour unions have staged protests over the proposed changes.