Stellantis, owner of brands like Peugeot, Fiat, Opel, and Chrysler, announced temporary stoppages at its European plants. This move is aimed at adjusting production rhythms to the challenging market conditions in Europe and reducing growing inventories.
The most significant interruptions will be seen at the factories in Poissy near Paris – with a three-week halt from 13 to 31 October – and in Pomigliano in Italy, where assembly lines will stop from September 29 to October 10. The suspension affects the production of Fiat Panda and Alfa Romeo Tonale among others. In total, nearly 3,800 employees will be temporarily out of work.
Downtimes also in Poland and Germany
The list of plants affected also includes those in other countries. In Tychy, production will be stopped for 9 days, in the Spanish city of Zaragoza for a week, and in Madrid for two weeks. Italian Pomigliano faces a 15-day halt, and in French Poissy – three weeks. Meanwhile, Eisenach in Germany will limit Opel production for two days, which will be accounted for against the workforce’s time bank.
Sales results under pressure
The decision is due to poor sales results. In the first half of 2025, Stellantis’s revenue dropped by 13 percent to 74.3 billion euros, and sales decreased by 7 percent.. In Europe alone, there was a sales drop of about 8 percent. Sale of electric cars was particularly hard hit, as the market still isn’t growing as quickly as manufacturers had hoped. The company emphasizes that its adopted strategy is “a cautious and responsible approach”, allowing it to align production capacities with actual demand.Stellantis announced it plans to use the production breaks for cleaning and training activities. The Poissy factory, for instance, intends to use this time for modernisation work and employee training to prepare for the end of the year. Additionally, this situation highlights the growing concerns about driver shortages leading to idle fleets and the truck parking deficit in the EU, which further complicate logistics operations during these downtimes.
