Stellantis has signed a joint venture deal with Chinese state-owned automaker Dongfeng to manufacture and sell Voyah electric vehicles in Europe. The partnership will see the premium Chinese brand’s cars built at Stellantis’ factory in Rennes, France.
The move helps Dongfeng avoid the hefty 45% import tariffs on Chinese-built EVs currently imposed by the European Union. Stellantis will leverage its established parts supply chains, logistics networks, and dealerships to launch Voyah across “designated European markets” – though the company hasn’t specified which countries that includes.
The Rennes facility currently produces only the Citroen C5 Aircross but has additional manufacturing capacity available.
Voyah positions itself as a premium brand in China, focusing on larger D- and E-segment vehicles. The company specializes in big SUVs and MPVs with both pure electric and plug-in hybrid powertrains.
Three Voyah models already sell in Norway. The Free is a large family SUV, while the Dream targets the MPV market and the Courage offers a mid-sized SUV option. The brand also produces the high-performance Passion sedan in other markets.
“The plans we are announcing 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.
Filosa added that the partnership will give customers “greater choice of competitive products and pricing” by combining Stellantis’ global manufacturing footprint with Dongfeng’s access to China’s advanced EV technology ecosystem.
Expanding Chinese-European Partnerships
The two companies aren’t strangers – they already collaborate in China, where Dongfeng is set to build four new Peugeot and Jeep models over the coming years.
This announcement reflects a broader trend of Chinese automakers establishing European manufacturing bases to avoid import tariffs and reduce shipping costs.
BYD will open its first European factory in Hungary later this year. Xpeng is negotiating with Volkswagen to acquire existing production facilities. Stellantis previously announced plans to build Leapmotor’s C10 SUV at its Zaragoza plant in Spain.
MG has also selected Spain as the location for its first European factory under Chinese ownership, signaling that Spain is becoming a key hub for Chinese EV manufacturing in Europe.
The partnerships allow Chinese brands to access European markets more cost-effectively while helping traditional automakers like Stellantis expand their EV portfolios without the massive R&D investments required to develop new electric platforms from scratch.
