European auto giant Stellantis and Chinese carmaker Dongfeng unveiled a joint venture that raised the prospect of the Asian firm manufacturing EVs in France.
The two are considering converting a French Stellantis factory to build Dongfeng brands so that the latter can meet made-in-Europe regulations.
EV sales are soaring on the back of the Iran war and ever-falling battery prices; the International Energy Agency forecast that one in three cars sold globally this year would be electric or plug-in hybrids, and has consistently underestimated EV sales growth in the past.
Sales have slowed in China, the biggest market, but exports are still rising, and manufacturers are betting on ultra-fast charging as a way of sustaining adoption momentum, Wood Mackenzie noted.
