Stellantis and Dongfeng Motor Corporation have announced plans to expand their long-running partnership through a new joint venture focused on the European market, with Dongfeng’s premium electric vehicle brand Voyah at the center of the initiative.
The two companies said the venture will oversee the sales, distribution, production and engineering of Dongfeng’s new energy vehicles in Europe, including battery-electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids and extended-range electric vehicles.
Under the agreement, Stellantis will hold a 51% stake in the joint venture, while Dongfeng will own the remaining 49%.
The partnership comes shortly after the companies disclosed plans for Dongfeng to manufacture new models for Stellantis brands Peugeot and Jeep in China, extending a collaboration that has lasted more than three decades.
Initially, the European joint venture will focus on distributing vehicles under Voyah in selected European markets by using Stellantis’ dealership and after-sales network.
The structure mirrors Stellantis’ existing partnership with Leapmotor, in which the automaker also holds a majority 51% stake to support European distribution activities.
Dongfeng also plans to manufacture certain vehicles in Europe through Stellantis production facilities, similar to Leapmotor’s manufacturing arrangement in Spain.
The companies selected Stellantis’ Rennes plant in France as the future production site for an unnamed Dongfeng model. The factory currently manufactures the Citroën C5 Aircross and Peugeot 5008.
Local production could allow Dongfeng vehicles to qualify for a “Made in Europe” designation, potentially helping the company reduce exposure to European Union tariffs on China-made EVs and comply with future local-content requirements tied to EV subsidies.
Antonio Filosa, chief executive of Stellantis, said the new venture expands the companies’ international cooperation and would provide customers with a broader range of competitively priced vehicles.
Dongfeng Chairman Qing Yang said the agreement would strengthen cooperation between the two groups in areas including technology, branding and international market expansion, while supporting Dongfeng’s global ambitions and Stellantis’ strategy in China.
Dongfeng had previously announced plans to launch Voyah in several European markets including Germany, France, Italy, Portugal and Spain in 2024, though those plans appeared to slow following the European Union’s additional tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles.
Currently, Voyah vehicles are officially sold in Europe only in the non-EU markets of Norway and Switzerland.
The companies said the new collaboration is expected to accelerate Voyah’s broader expansion across Europe.