Shortly after announcing their expanded collaboration in China, automakers Stellantis and Dongfeng have also unveiled plans for an intensive partnership in Europe. At the heart of this partnership is Dongfeng's Voyah brand. In the future, Dongfeng vehicles will also be manufactured at Stellantis' plant in Rennes.Voyah exhibition stand at Auto China in BeijingImage: VoyahIt was revealed just days ago that Dongfeng will manufacture new models for Stellantis brands Peugeot and Jeep in China. Building on their 34-year partnership in the country, the two automotive groups now plan to establish a joint venture for the European market. The aim is to manage the sales, distribution, production, and engineering of Dongfeng’s new energy vehicles in Europe. That includes battery-electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids, and vehicles with range extenders.Stellantis will take the lead in the joint venture, holding a 51% stake, while Dongfeng will own the remaining 49%. Initially, the joint venture will focus on distributing Dongfeng’s Voyah brand NEVs in select European markets, leveraging Stellantis’s dealership network and after-sales expertise. This agreement mirrors Stellantis’s partnership with Chinese manufacturer Leapmotor, which it also actively supports in European distribution. Stellantis likewise holds a 51% stake in that joint venture.There is another parallel with the Leapmotor deal: like Leapmotor in Spain, Dongfeng Motor Corporation plans to have some of its vehicles built by Stellantis in Europe in the future. The selected site is the Rennes plant in France, where the Citroën C5 Aircross and Peugeot 5008 are currently produced. Manufacturing its still unnamed model there could give Dongfeng a “Made in Europe” label, helping it avoid high import tariffs and comply with likely upcoming EU criteria for EV incentive programmes.“The plans we are announcing today take our recently strengthened cooperation with Dongfeng to an all-new dimension of an international partnership to the benefit of customers around the world,” said Antonio Filosa, Stellantis CEO. “With this new chapter in our collaboration, we will give our customers an even greater choice of competitive products and pricing, leveraging the best of Stellantis’ global footprint alongside Dongfeng’s access to China’s advanced new energy vehicles ecosystem.”“Dongfeng will further strengthen and expand our partnership with Stellantis, closely aligning with China’s national strategies of high-level opening up, dual circulation, and stabilizing foreign investment, business, and employment.” said Qing YANG, Dongfeng Chairman. “This also meets both shareholders’ development needs. Through coordination in technology, branding, and global markets, it will unlock greater value from the joint venture, accelerate Dongfeng’s global expansion, support Stellantis’ global strategic shift and China presence.”Dongfeng had long planned to introduce Voyah in several European countries, with a 2024 launch announced for Germany, France, Italy, Portugal, and Spain. However, these plans were likely derailed by the EU’s special tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles. Currently, Voyah vehicles are officially available in Europe only in the non-EU countries Norway and Switzerland. The collaboration with Stellantis is expected to significantly accelerate the brand’s expansion across Europe.stellantis.com