Lack of batteries for electric cars: Stellantis suspends production at three plants
Image: Citroën
The European automaker Stellantis has announced a temporary suspension of production at three French plants. The reason for the shutdown is a shortage of batteries for long-range electric vehicles. The interruption will last at least one week.
The plants affected by this measure are those in Sochaux, Rennes, and Mulhouse. According to the Handelsblatt, workers were informed about the planned actions on Tuesday.
The plant in Sochaux, in eastern France, where the Peugeot 3008 SUV is manufactured, will be closed from October 23 to October 30. Production of the Citroën C5 Aircross at the plant in Rennes will also cease from October 22 to October 30.
According to the company, the battery shortage is caused by high demand, especially from fleet customers, which exceeds current supply levels. By adjusting the production schedule, Stellantis aims to prevent buildup of inventory of vehicles that do not meet customer demand. The new Citroën C5 Aircross is particularly affected by this issue.
The cause of the supply shortage is attributed to limited production capacity from supplier Automotive Cells Company (ACC). The company is working to increase output and improve deliveries to Stellantis, according to reports. ACC is a joint venture between Stellantis, Mercedes-Benz, and Total Energy’s subsidiary Saft.
"Unfortunately, despite significant progress in ACC’s production, we still do not have enough batteries," a Stellantis spokesperson told Reuters. The supplier stated that module production in September would approach the level of the entire year 2025.
"As we continue to increase production, industrialization and scaling are clearly in full swing, and we are meeting our commitments to our customer Stellantis, with module deliveries adjusted to meet its requirements," said an ACC spokesperson.
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Thomas Langenbucher is an expert in electromobility with experience in the automotive and financial industries. Since 2011, he has been covering electric vehicles, sustainable technologies, and mobility solutions for ecomento.de. Learn more.
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