The French automotive industry is undergoing a profound transformation, with over 200,000 jobs lost in the sector over the past fifteen years. While the shift toward electric vehicles is often seen as the main reason, the NGO Transport & Environment (T&E), in partnership with economist Bernard Jullien, argues that this is a partial explanation. T&E studied 27 representative industrial sites and found that France, which was the third-largest automotive producer in 2000, now ranks 14th. The trade balance has turned from a surplus of 10 billion euros to a deficit of nearly 20 billion euros by 2025. New vehicle sales have dropped by 22%, from 2.2 million units in 2019 to 1.6 million in 2025. Meanwhile, the average price of new vehicles has risen by almost 30% to maintain profit margins. According to Diane Strauss, head of T&E France, the main challenge for the industry is internal competition, particularly with suppliers from Europe and increasingly from China. T&E points out that Chinese suppliers are producing electric vehicles at a rate that exceeds domestic demand, allowing them to offer components at prices 30 to 40% lower than European production costs. Bernard Jullien explains that these suppliers often do not charge for development costs when responding to tenders, which puts French manufacturers at a disadvantage, as they risk working at a loss if they bid. T&E highlights that purchasing departments at automotive companies are increasingly turning to Chinese suppliers to keep costs down and maintain market share, often breaking ties with long-standing French partners. In contrast to Germany, where major automakers have prioritized plants near their headquarters during production cuts, France faces a growing disconnect between decision-makers and local industrial sites. Some French plants are reducing costs by sourcing parts from China, turning them into simple assembly sites dependent on supply chains that stretch over 10,000 kilometers. The Renault plant in Cléon (76) is one example of a site transitioning to electric engines, using components from the Chinese company Shanghai e-Drive, with 70% of the engine's value now produced abroad. However, the Renault plant in Sandouville (76) remains relatively stable due to less frequent updates of commercial vehicles and less aggressive international competition, allowing it to focus on the electric transition while protecting jobs. T&E suggests that reversing the planned end of thermal engine sales in 2035 would undermine French companies that have already invested in the technology and could pave the way for Chinese competitors. Instead, the NGO recommends the Industrial Accelerator Act (IAA) to shield the French automotive industry from Chinese competition. This includes strict European local content requirements for public subsidies and extending these rules up the supply chain. The French government is urged to play a more strategic role, using public procurement to support local industry and tying aid to the presence of domestic manufacturing. T&E categorized the 27 analyzed sites into five distinct paths, with "threatened champions" being the most alarming. These are companies that have invested in electric car technologies but are now at risk due to the trend of sourcing parts from Chinese competitors. For example, R. Bourgeois in Besançon (25) is forced to import low-cost Chinese electric steel and move its machinery to subsidiaries in China, threatening the closure of its French site. Similarly, the Autoliv plant in Gournay-en-Bray (76) faces closure due to cost differences with Romanian production and competition from Chinese imports. Renault and Stellantis source about 20% of their airbag volumes from China, further illustrating the shift in supply chains.