The Stellantis group has closed an agreement with its Chinese partner Dongfeng to create a joint venture that will market Voyah brand high-end electric cars in Europe. Stellantis will control 51% of the new company, which will manage sales, distribution, purchasing, and engineering. The plan includes the possibility of assembling these vehicles at the French Rennes plant, which operates below capacity and has space for an additional 40,000 units without major investments.
Shared engineering and modular platform for the high-end range 🚗
The joint venture will leverage the competitive Chinese electric vehicle ecosystem, combining Dongfeng's technology with Stellantis' distribution network. The Voyah models, which compete in the premium segment, will use a modular architecture that allows production to be adapted to the Rennes plant with minimal changes. Stellantis will contribute its expertise in logistics and European certification, while Dongfeng will supply batteries and motors. Joint engineering will seek to reduce costs without altering the performance of the models.
France assembling Chinese cars: the masterstroke of the century 🤯
With the agreement, Stellantis demonstrates that to compete with Chinese electric cars, the best thing is to make them at home... but with parts from over there. The Rennes plant, which was almost dedicated to gathering dust, will now receive 40,000 Voyah cars for assembly. Of course, they will be French by passport, but with a Shanghai soul. At least the unions will be able to boast that the cars carry the Made in France stamp, even if 90% of the parts arrive in containers. Europe competes, but with extra help.