Carmaker Stellantis to pause production at French factories over battery shortage

Carmaker Stellantis to pause production at French factories over battery shortage

Reuters — 2026-10-22

Automotive Industry

Stellantis will pause production at three of its French factories ‌for at least a week, the automaker ‌said on Tuesday, due partly to a shortage of ​batteries for electric vehicles made at the plants.

The factory in Sochaux in eastern France will shut from October 23 to 30 because of ‌a battery shortage ⁠for long-range versions of EVs, the company said in a statement.

"Demand for these ⁠versions is strong — particularly among fleet customers — and continues to exceed current supply capabilities. Against this ​backdrop, ​we are temporarily adjusting ​our production schedule ‌to remain aligned with market needs and avoid building up vehicle inventory that does not match customer demand," Stellantis said, adding that it was a one-off measure.

The Rennes factory will ‌also close from October 22 ​to 30 for the ​same reason, with ​the situation particularly affecting the ‌Citroën C5 Aircross, while the Mulhouse ​plant will ​halt production from October 15 to 30.

Factory employees were informed of the suspensions earlier ​on Tuesday.