Stellantis and Dongfeng Join Forces for Voyah EVs in France

Stellantis is reportedly planning a joint venture with Dongfeng that could lead to production of at least one Voyah-branded electric vehicle in France. According to Reuters, manufacturing would take place at Stellantis's plant in Rennes, with the European group holding a 51% stake in the venture.

For Dongfeng, the deal offers a direct route deeper into Europe while avoiding EU import duties on Chinese-built EVs. Voyah is Dongfeng's premium marque, but its European sales remain modest — the two brands combined sold just 3,210 vehicles in the region in 2025.

This arrangement extends a broader role reversal between the two companies. Just last week, Dongfeng agreed to build Jeep and Peugeot models in China; now Stellantis is potentially offering its Chinese partner a European production base. The same logic is already at play with Leapmotor — Stellantis owns 51% of that joint venture and has previously outlined plans for co-assembly in Spain.

The Rennes plant is a natural fit for this project. In the early 2000s, it churned out over 400,000 cars annually across three assembly lines. Following restructuring, however, it now builds just the Citroen C5 Aircross on a single line. For Stellantis, the Chinese contract helps fill that spare capacity.

Chinese automakers are turning to European assembly as they grapple with a brutal price war at home and push for overseas growth. Dongfeng targets annual sales of 4 million vehicles by 2030, with over 40% coming from markets outside China. For Chinese EVs, Europe is less a showroom for exports and more a market where local production is becoming essential.