Stellantis' 160 million euro ($176 million) investment to update its factory in Rennes, France, to build the next Citroen compact SUV will include injection molding.
Stellantis — the Netherlands-based company that also owns Chrysler, Jeep and Fiat brands — said the injection molding workshop at Rennes will make front and rear modules.
The Citroen SUV will mostly be sold as a full-electric vehicle when it launches in 2025.
Stellantis said in a news release that the investment also will set up a battery assembly workshop.
The upcoming car, code-named CR3, will succeed the current C5 Aircross, which offers gasoline, diesel and plug-in hybrid powertrains. Stellantis in November 2021 announced it would invest 152 million euros in the factory ahead of the new model, as part of a plan to boost EV production in France.
Stellantis plans to sell only electric cars in Europe by 2030.
Asked whether the new vehicle would be available as anything other than a full-electric model, CEO Carlos Tavares told the press on June 1: "In principle, no." The STLA Medium platform can accept internal-combustion powertrains.
The factory currently builds the Citroen C5 Aircross and the Peugeot 5008 midsize SUV. Both models entered production in 2017; the C5 Aircross is available as a plug-in hybrid, while the 5008 does not have any electrified options.
The 5008 is due to be replaced in the next 18 months, along with the smaller 3008 compact. Its successor is expected to be built at Stellantis' factory in Sochaux, eastern France, with the 3008.
The Rennes facility dates to 1960, when it was set up by Citroen. Peugeot models were added in the 2000s, including the 407, 508 and the 5008, which entered production in 2017. It has an annual capacity of about 100,000 vehicles, and about 2,300 employees. Last year it produced about 73,000 vehicles.