Stellantis will shut down several French factories due to a lack of batteries for its electric vehicles.

Stellantis will temporarily suspend production at several of its French plants in October. In Sochaux and Rennes, the issue stems from a shortage of batteries for long-range electric versions. Demand for these models currently exceeds the group’s supply capacity.

Sochaux and Rennes to shut down for a few days

At Stellantis, the problem this time is not finding customers for electric cars. It’s rather about being able to manufacture them quickly enough. The Franco-Italian-American group is facing supply difficulties with batteries for its long-range models, to the point where it must shut down two of its French plants.

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In Sochaux, production will be suspended from October 23 to 30. The plant manufactures the Peugeot e-3008 and Peugeot e-5008, among other models. In Rennes, where the electric Citroën C5 Aircross is assembled, the shutdown is scheduled from October 22 to 30.

Stellantis explains that the supply of certain batteries for Long Range variants is insufficient. Meanwhile, demand for these versions is high, especially among professionals. As a result, the manufacturer prefers to temporarily adjust its production rates rather than make more vehicles in less sought-after configurations.

The large ACC batteries are in high demand

The Long Range versions of the e-3008 and e-5008 use a 96.9 kWh usable battery, produced in France by ACC (a joint venture between Stellantis, Mercedes, and TotalEnergies) in Douvrin. They offer ranges of up to 701 km and 668 km respectively under WLTP standards. The C5 Aircross Grande Autonomie also comes equipped with the same battery pack, promising a range of 680 km.

ACC is gradually increasing its production in northern France. However, the pace of expansion is clearly insufficient to meet the group’s overall needs. This issue arose earlier in 2026 as well.

In Mulhouse, the problem is different

Stellantis’ factory in Mulhouse will also be shut down from October 15 to 30. But unlike Sochaux and Rennes, batteries are not the reason. The plant currently produces the Peugeot 308 and 408, two models that are nearing the end of their production cycle on this line... and whose sales performance is weaker. Stellantis is preparing the factory to manufacture new models starting in 2029.