China is “probably ten years ahead” in electric vehicles. The statement comes from Olivier Grégoire, Stellantis’ head of China and Asia-Pacific, at the Beijing Auto Show, where the group returned after years of absence. Grégoire openly acknowledged the advantage built by China’s industrial ecosystem in batteries, electric motors, electronics, software and industrialization speed. He made the remark at a time when Stellantis still needs to define much of its electric strategy.
Stellantis says China is “probably ten years ahead” in electric vehicles
Grégoire also added that achieving results in electric vehicles will prove very difficult without working with Chinese companies. Local automakers rely on a highly specialized supply chain and on a product launch speed that European and American groups struggle to match in the short term. After all, competition in electric vehicles does not revolve around a single model displayed in a showroom, but around the entire chain that makes that model possible, from components to development speed.
That is why Stellantis is strengthening local partnerships, starting with its long-standing collaboration with Dongfeng, active since 1992 through the joint venture in the Wuhan area. The city, often described as China’s “automotive valley,” could return to the center of the group’s strategy as a development base for future electrified models, including possible evolutions of the concept cars shown at the Beijing Auto Show. Stellantis aims to build vehicles designed for Chinese customers but with export potential for other markets, using the maturity of the local supply chain to shorten development times and regain competitiveness.
For Stellantis, China therefore takes on a dual role: not only an end market, but also an industrial platform from which the group can draw technologies and production capabilities that European and North American hubs still cannot provide with the same efficiency. If Stellantis confirms this approach in its next industrial plans, the balance between geographic regions in the group’s electric strategy could change significantly.
