Stellantis plans to invest more than €1 billion in production of a new van at a plant in France, according to Bloomberg, which cited people familiar with the matter. The investment is part of a broader reorganization of the automaker's European manufacturing capacity.
According to Bloomberg's sources, the maker of the Fiat, Opel, Peugeot and Citroen brands will modernize its existing plant in Hordain, in northern France, and invest in research and development in other regions of the country to support the launch of the new vehicle.
Stellantis is expected to bring back in-house parts of the production process currently handled by outside suppliers, and to lean on increased automation to boost efficiency at the Hordain plant, the sources said. A Stellantis spokesperson declined to comment when contacted by Bloomberg.
Stellantis, which also builds Ram pickup trucks in the United States, sold around 1.65 million commercial vehicles worldwide last year.
European Restructuring Under Filosa
Chief executive Antonio Filosa, who took over the automaker more than a year ago, has been reforming its European operations. He is preparing to roll out dozens of new models while tackling excess manufacturing capacity and cutting costs in unprofitable areas of the business.
The group is aiming to reach annual savings of €6 billion by 2028.
Partnerships With Chinese Automakers
As part of that effort, Stellantis is betting on partnerships with Chinese companies Zhejiang Leapmotor Technology Co. and Dongfeng Motor Corp. to help boost output at its plants in Rennes, France, and in Spain.
Leapmotor and Dongfeng are among China's fast-growing automakers, and tie-ups of this kind have become increasingly common as legacy manufacturers look for ways to fill spare capacity at underused European factories.
Other French Investment Plans
Earlier this year, Filosa announced plans to invest more than €1 billion to support production of three new electric and hybrid Peugeot models at a plant in Mulhouse, in eastern France, with output due to begin in 2029.
Stellantis's Pro One division, which specializes in commercial vehicles, plans to launch 11 new or updated models by 2030.
Last month, Filosa pledged to keep all 12 of the company's production sites in France open.
About Stellantis
Stellantis is the world's fifth-largest automaker, ranking behind Toyota Group, Volkswagen, Hyundai-Kia and General Motors.
The group was formed in 2021 through the merger of France's PSA Group with the Italian-American Fiat Chrysler. Carlos Tavares, who had led the company since the merger, stepped down as chief executive in December 2024.
