The new generation of the DS 3 E-Tense will probably be produced in Spain

Stellantis is already working on the future restyling of its compact DS 3 E-Tense model. From 2027, this vehicle will not only change segment, moving from being an SUV to becoming a saloon, but will also be built in a different plant. The company plans to move production from Poissy in France, where the units currently sold are made, to Stellantis’s Zaragoza plant in Figueruelas.

The company intends in this way to concentrate in this Aragonese plant the production of several of its urban electric models based on the STLA Small platform. These would be the DS 3 E-Tense itself, together with the Peugeot e-208 and the Opel Corsa-e. A decision that seems quite logical, given that these three models from different brands within the group will all feature a fully electric propulsion system and share the same technological base.

Production of the new generation of the DS 3 E-Tense is scheduled to begin at Stellantis’s Zaragoza plant around May 2027, with an annual volume that would reach 35 thousand units. Far lower, therefore, than the other two models, the Opel and Peugeot, which will also be produced there. This move by the company could also mean that production of the Lancia Ypsilon, currently built at the Zaragoza plant, could be transferred to another plant, probably in Italy.

Batteries will also be produced in Zaragoza

On the other hand, some reports indicate that these new Stellantis models based on the new STLA Small platform will exclusively use LFP cells from CATL, which will allow them to offer a range of up to 500 km on a single charge. Stellantis has been looking for some time for a new location to open its fourth battery production plant in Europe, and it seems Zaragoza will be the chosen site. For the opening of this new plant, Stellantis will count on CATL’s collaboration as supplier of LFP cells. An alliance that was already announced at the end of November 2023.

Finally, it should be noted that this new battery complex in Zaragoza will supply not only the local Figueruelas plant, but also the Kénitra plant in Morocco and the Vigo plant in Spain. Although, as we said, the start of production of the new DS 3 E-Tense is provisionally scheduled for 2027, some reports indicate, however, that Stellantis could delay the launch of the STLA Small platform until as late as 2029. Which, as a consequence, would affect the planned launch date of all these models based on this platform.