![\"Stellantis](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/netherlands\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/2026041512011283.jpg\")
(A Dongfeng M-Hero model on display at the Shanghai Auto Show in April 2025. Image credit: CnEVPost)<\/p>\nStellantis is in talks to give Dongfeng access to underused European factories.
\nThe potential deal adds to Stellantis’s expanding network of Chinese partners including Leapmotor.<\/p>\n
(A Dongfeng M-Hero model on display at the Shanghai Auto Show in April 2025. Image credit: CnEVPost)<\/p>\n
Stellantis NV is discussing reviving a partnership with Dongfeng Motor that would involve joint car production in Europe and China, Bloomberg reported<\/a> on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter.<\/p>\n The two companies are in talks about giving Dongfeng access to some of Stellantis’s underused factories in Europe, while Dongfeng may in turn make cars from selected Stellantis brands in China, according to the report.<\/p>\n Representatives for the Chinese state-owned manufacturer recently visited plants in Germany and Italy, and the deliberations include Dongfeng possibly acquiring or investing in one or more European factories at a later stage, some of the people said.<\/p>\n The talks are part of a broader push by Stellantis to bolster its business. The company is grappling with intensifying competition from rivals such as Volkswagen AG and BYD.<\/p>\n Stellantis executives previously met with Xiaomi and Xpeng to discuss overhaul options, Bloomberg reported last month.<\/p>\n Bringing in a manufacturing partner in Europe could help reduce costs and improve plant utilization. Meanwhile, Chinese automakers are looking for local production to sidestep European Union tariffs.<\/p>\n Stellantis operates dozens of factories in the region, some of which are underutilized. Chinese automakers, meanwhile, are seeking local production in the EU, Bloomberg noted.<\/p>\n Closer cooperation with Dongfeng would rekindle a partnership that began in the early 1990s.<\/p>\n PSA Group, the predecessor to Stellantis, formed a joint venture with the Chinese company to access the market. In recent years, however, sales and output have shrunk dramatically due to rising competition.<\/p>\n Stellantis has also been expanding its alliances with other Chinese EV makers. The company is currently in advanced talks with Leapmotor to jointly develop an Opel electric SUV<\/a>, according to a Reuters report last week.<\/p>\n The new Opel model will use Leapmotor’s technology and be produced at Stellantis’s Zaragoza plant. Production of the model is expected to officially start in 2028, with a target of 50,000 vehicles a year, according to Reuters.<\/p>\n
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