Ford rival doubles down on China with bold move

3 days ago 3

Aditya Raghunath

Sun, May 17, 2026 astatine 1:47 PM CDT 5 min read

While Ford and General Motors wrestle with their China strategies, Stellantis is doubling down connected the world's largest car market.

Stellantis, the maker of Jeep, Ram, and Peugeot, conscionable made 2 sweeping moves that signal a sharply antithetic playbook from its American rivals.

The decisions travel astatine a pivotal infinitesimal for the global car industry, which is wrestling with tariff pressures, shifting user demand, and the electric-vehicle transition, forcing each large automaker to rethink wherever it builds cars and with whom.

Stellantis (STLA) appears to person made up its mind.

Stellantis expands manufacturing successful China

Stellantis and Chinese state-owned Dongfeng Group person agreed to grow what is already 1 of the car industry's longest-running partnerships.

The 2 companies, which person worked unneurotic for much than 3 decades, signed a strategic practice statement to nutrient Peugeot and Jeep-branded electrical vehicles astatine a mill successful Wuhan.
Production is expected to statesman successful 2027, with 2 caller Peugeot artillery electrical vehicles and 2 Jeep off-road electrical models initially coming disconnected the line.
The Peugeot models volition gully from plan concepts shown astatine the 2026 Beijing Auto Show. Both the Peugeot and Jeep vehicles are intended for Chinese buyers arsenic good arsenic export markets worldwide.
The full concern tied to the task is much than 8 cardinal Chinese yuan, oregon astir 1 cardinal euros. Stellantis is expected to contribute astir 130 cardinal euros of that figure.

The 2 companies besides signed a non-binding memorandum of knowing to research adjacent broader practice down the road, covering shared scale, research, and improvement resources.

Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa called the determination a logical hold of the existing relationship.

"With a way grounds of much than 30 years of collaboration and shared automotive expertise, Stellantis and Dongfeng are acceptable to leverage their strengths further and present all-new vehicles with cutting-edge EV technologies from brands that customers worldwide spot and love."

Stellantis' CEO aims to widen the company's manufacturing footprint successful China.Stellantis

Stellantis expands concern with Leapmotor

Just days earlier the Dongfeng news, Stellantis and Chinese electric-vehicle shaper Leapmotor announced plans to deepen their partnership.

Stellantis became Leapmotor's largest shareholder successful October 2023, picking up astir a 21% stake.

At the aforesaid time, the 2 companies launched Leapmotor International, a associated task with exclusive rights to manufacture and merchantability Leapmotor vehicles extracurricular Greater China. Stellantis controls 51% of that venture, with Leapmotor holding 49%.

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