Stellantis, a major automotive manufacturer, announced on September 29 that it will temporarily stop production at four of its plants in France—Sochaux, Rennes, Mulhouse, and Poissy—between October 15 and October 30. The shutdowns are due to industrial challenges, including a shortage of long-range batteries for electric vehicles and the end of production for certain car models. At the Sochaux plant, where the Peugeot 3008 and 5008 are made, the closure will run from October 23 to October 30. The Rennes plant, which assembles the Citroën C5 Aircross, will also be closed from October 22 to October 30. A key reason for the shutdowns is the shortage of batteries from ACC, a Franco-German manufacturer. Demand for long-range electric vehicles has outpaced the supply of these batteries, causing production delays. The Mulhouse plant will be closed from October 15 to October 30. This site is nearing the end of production for the Peugeot 308 and 408 models, which cannot use large autonomy batteries. The plant is set to receive a 400 million euro investment as part of a larger 1 billion euro investment plan for France, announced by Stellantis in June. New models, including sedans and compact SUVs, are expected to be built there starting in 2029. At the Poissy plant, the shutdown will take place from October 19 to October 23 to adjust production to current market demand. Stellantis had previously announced plans to stop assembling vehicles by 2028, shifting instead to parts production and vehicle transformation. Unions have raised concerns about the impact of these shutdowns on employees’ purchasing power. The CGT union criticized the decision, stating that fewer cars being produced should not result in fewer jobs or worse working conditions, especially for temporary workers. The shortage of long-range batteries is also affecting other plants, including those in Sochaux and Rennes, where production lines are being adjusted due to supply issues. ACC, the battery manufacturer, is struggling to meet demand despite recent improvements in production. The company’s CEO, Allan Swan, stated that production for September will be close to the total of the previous year, but delays remain significant. The decision to halt production at these sites highlights the challenges Stellantis faces in balancing supply chain constraints with the growing market demand for electric vehicles.