by Stellantis continues to deepen its collaboration with Chinese automakers. After the partnership with Leapmotor, the company announced a new joint venture with Dongfeng. This time, it concerns the production of premium electric vehicles of the Voyah brand in France for the European market.
Details of the new agreement
The proposed agreement involves the creation of a company controlled by Stellantis, with a share split of 51% to 49% in favor of the European concern. The new business will take on not only imports but also the full cycle of production, engineering, procurement, sales, and distribution related to Dongfeng electric vehicles in certain European markets.
Production in France
Although Stellantis has not officially confirmed the production location, according to Autonews, Dongfeng plans to establish facilities at the plant in Rennes, Brittany, western France. This plant once produced over 400,000 vehicles per year, but its capacity is now significantly underutilized. Today, it mainly produces the Citroen C5 Aircross, leaving plenty of free space for new models.
The Voyah brand and the Courage model
This is where Voyah enters the stage. It is Dongfeng’s premium electric brand, which sold relatively small volumes in Europe last quarter. Local production could radically change its prospects. Producing vehicles within Europe will help avoid tariffs aimed at Chinese electric vehicles and will also meet the growing ‘Made in Europe’ requirements.
One of the likely models for production is the Voyah Courage crossover. It is a dual-motor electric vehicle with 429 hp (435 hp / 320 kW), accelerating to 100 km/h in 4.9 seconds. The claimed range under the WLTP cycle is 470 km. Chinese versions of this car are already being sold in Europe.
Growing dependence on China
This move adds a new dimension to Stellantis’s growing dependence on Chinese electric vehicle technologies. Just last week, the company confirmed that future electrified Jeep and Peugeot models will be produced in Wuhan, starting in 2027, for China and export markets. This means that future Jeeps sold abroad may owe a significant debt to China’s rapidly evolving EV ecosystem.
From M-Hero to Jeep
The Jeep image has always relied on its rugged American and military heritage. But under Stellantis, the brand’s electric future, at least outside the U.S., leverages Chinese technology, production, and supply chains. Last year, rumors surfaced that the Dongfeng M-Hero M817 SUV could be rebadged as a Jeep.
Peugeot last month presented the Concept 6 and Concept 8 concepts, which showcase the sharp lines of future models. They will also be produced in China by Dongfeng for both the domestic market and for export.
Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa called the latest agreement a natural evolution of the companies’ long-standing partnership.
‘With this new chapter in our collaboration, we will provide our customers with an even greater choice of competitive products and prices,’ he said, adding that the alliance combines Stellantis’s global reach with Dongfeng’s advanced expertise in electric vehicles.
This series of agreements demonstrates Stellantis’s strategic pivot: instead of competing with Chinese manufacturers, the company is choosing the path of integrating their technologies and production capacities. Using underutilized European plants to produce Chinese electric vehicles allows it to solve several tasks at once: avoiding import tariffs, loading production capacities, and gaining access to advanced technologies. At the same time, it raises questions about the future of Stellantis’s own European developments and how consumers will perceive ‘Chinese’ cars under European brands or Chinese models manufactured in Europe.
