Stellantis is to increase its electric motor and electrified dual-clutch transmission production at its French Trémery and Metz powertrain plants, ceo Carlos Tavares said during a visit to the facilities earlier this week.

The two plants have shifted their focus from internal combustion to battery electric vehicles (BEV) and plug-in hybrids (PHEV). The Trémery plant, once the world’s largest diesel engine facility, will produce electric motors starting this year thanks to the new equally owned joint venture with Nidec Leroy-Somer Holding, called Emotors. The partners have invested in the Emotors’ Trémery facility €93 million ($97m) so far, pushing the plant towards an annual capacity of over 1m motors from 2024, a company note says. The first e-motor to be launched and installed on Stellantis BEV by the end of 2022 will be the 400-volt,115-kilowatt M3 model.

Another 50/50 JV called e-Transmissions for the gearbox production at the Metz plant has been created with Punch Powertrain. The facility will focus on manufacturing electrified dual-clutch transmissions (eDCT) and also benefits from a significant €57m investment. Metz is planned to ramp up its annual output to approximately 600,000 eDCT gearboxes by 2024 for Stellantis’ hybrid portfolio, Kallanish notes. The eDCT will be launched in 2023 and will be available with 48-volt and 320-volt configurations.

Stellantis intends to reach 100% BEV sales in Europe and 50% passenger car and light-duty truck BEV sales mix in the United States by 2030 (see Kallanish passim).

“We have now created a new global value chain with trusted partners, including five gigafactories, to support our global EV battery strategy and propel our Dare Forward 2030 targets,”  Tavares said during his visit.

Stellantis has invested about €2 billion ($2.09 billion) in its French plants over the past four years to accelerate the shift towards electrification.