Stellantis Shuts Down French Plants (Fatal EV Battery Crisis)

Stellantis will temporarily halt production at four of its French factories in October 2026. Production at the Sochaux, Rennes, Mulhouse and Poissy plants will be suspended for periods ranging from five to 15 days.

However, the reasons behind the stoppages are not the same at every factory.

Battery Supply Problems Hit Sochaux and Rennes

According to Stellantis, the main issue at Sochaux and Rennes is the limited availability of batteries used in long-range electric vehicles.

Production at the Sochaux plant will stop from 23 to 30 October. The historic Peugeot factory produces models including the Peugeot 3008 and Peugeot 5008.

At the Rennes plant, production will be suspended from 22 to 30 October. The site produces models including the Citroën C5 Aircross. (Reuters)

Stellantis says demand for long-range electric vehicles, particularly from business and fleet customers, has been stronger than the current battery supply capacity.

In other words, the interesting part of the situation is that production is being affected not simply because of weak demand, but because Stellantis is struggling to secure enough batteries for vehicles that customers want to buy.

Different Reasons at Mulhouse and Poissy

Production at the Mulhouse plant will be suspended from 15 to 30 October. The stoppage is not being attributed solely to the battery shortage, with production planning and the lifecycle of current models also playing a role. Stellantis is also planning to introduce new models at the plant in the coming years. (Automobile Propre)

At the Poissy plant near Paris, production will stop from 19 to 23 October.

Stellantis says the aim is to adjust production to current market demand and manage vehicle stocks more closely. (Euronews)

A New Bottleneck for Electric Vehicle Production?

The situation at Sochaux and Rennes highlights an increasingly important issue for electric vehicle manufacturing: battery production capacity can become a bottleneck even when demand remains strong.

Stellantis' long-range electric models are supplied in part by the ACC battery plant in Douvrin, France. ACC is a joint venture involving Stellantis, Mercedes-Benz and TotalEnergies.

As battery production capacity continues to expand, current supply limitations are still affecting Stellantis' ability to maintain production levels for some electric models. (Electrive)

Stellantis' October production stoppages therefore do not point to a single problem. Battery supply is a major factor at Sochaux and Rennes, while production planning and model cycles are also behind the stoppages at Mulhouse and Poissy.