On May 8, Emmanuel Macron will go up the Champs-Élysées aboard his new presidential car. An electric, armored, high -end vehicle… and which perfectly illustrates the paradoxes of the European automotive industry. Because if the president wants to give a strong signal in favor of the “made in France”, the car in question, a DS n ° 8, is… manufactured in Italy!
A DS n ° 8, symbol of an electric ambition
This DS n ° 8, still unknown to the general public, embodies the presidential desire to green the communication of the Élysée. After being criticized for having used a hybrid car during the last parade on July 14, Emmanuel Macron wants to mark the occasion. According to the newspaper “Le Canard Enchainé”, it will drive 100 % electric for the May 8 ceremonies, celebrating the 80th anniversary of the Allies’ victory.
This choice is not trivial: the president is committed to producing 1 million electric cars “made in France” by 2027. But between political promises and industrial reality, there is a gap.
A French born … in Melfi, Italy
Because if DS n ° 8 proudly sports a tricolor badge, it is indeed assembled in the Stellantis factory in Melfi, in the south of Italy. An old Fiat factory, reorganized to accommodate the production of future electrified models of the group: Jeep Compass, Lancia Gamma, DS n ° 8 and DS n ° 7.
-So this is a funny situation: the presidential car, symbol of French industrial relocation, will come from Italian assembly chains. An involuntary wink to the fact that, in the Stellantis group, the nationality of the models becomes more and more vague: the Alfa Romeo Junior is produced in Poland, the Fiat Grande Panda in Serbia, the Lancia Ypsilon in Spain…
So, can we really talk about a “made in France”? The answer is… half yes. Because if the body of DS n ° 8 comes from Italy, its key components are indeed French. The electric motor comes from the Emotors factory in Trémery (Moselle), while the batteries are assembled in Douvrin (Pas-de-Calais), in the Gigafactory of ACC.
In short, the DS n ° 8 is an assumed Franco-Italian. An industrial compromise like Stellantis, and now master in the art of mixing origins to optimize costs and production.
