Geography / Europe
Europe
The Mittelstand, the Commission, energy as a production constraint, and the battery belt.
October 2026
News · Supply Chain
Stellantis starts building Leapmotor's B10 in Zaragoza, with more than 40% of its components made locally
The Chinese brand's first car built in Spain came off a dedicated line at Figueruelas on Friday. Chassis come from a new plant in Borja and battery modules from Mallén, and a second model, the B05, joins the line in early 2027.
The Industrial Brief · 19 Oct 2026 · 4 min
Now · Policy
France and Germany back a 90% car CO₂ cut for 2035 in return for tougher Made in Europe rules
The two governments want carmakers spared offsets for the last 10% of the 2035 target. In return, cars bought by public bodies or with public subsidies would have to pass a stricter Made in Europe test, and the UK could qualify on conditions.
The Industrial Brief · 17 Oct 2026 · 2 min
News · Supply Chain
ACC passes five million battery cells in France as Stellantis prepares to pause two plants over a long-range battery shortage
The Stellantis–Mercedes–Saft joint venture says September module output nearly matched all of 2025, while Rennes and Sochaux pause in late October because demand for ACC's high-range batteries still outruns supply.
The Industrial Brief · 14 Oct 2026 · 5 min
News · Supply Chain
Porsche will cut a fifth of its model variants and wants parts for new cars to cost about 10% less than planned
The sports car maker's plan to 2035 also shrinks its workforce by a quarter and aims to break even below 200,000 cars a year. For suppliers it means fewer part numbers, longer runs on each and more parts shared with Audi.
The Industrial Brief · 8 Oct 2026 · 6 min
News · Production
Renault will put more than €10bn into France over the next five years
François Provost told France Inter on Saturday that the money depends on France's social and political climate. It is less than the €13bn spent over the past five years, while French output is due to rise by at least a quarter this year.
The Industrial Brief · 5 Oct 2026 · 6 min
Now · Production
Breyden will close its Ueckermünde brake-casting foundry at the end of the year
About 320 jobs, including temporary and agency staff, go at the iron foundry in north-east Germany, which makes castings for car brakes. Staff were told on Friday.
The Industrial Brief · 3 Oct 2026 · 1 min
September 2026
News · Energy
Volkswagen wants Gotion inside its Spanish battery plant
Gotion’s board has agreed to take 49% of Sagunto. Shareholders and governments still have to say yes. The plant has not sold a cell.
The Industrial Brief · 29 Sept 2026 · 6 min
News · Energy
CATL has two cell lines on trial in Debrecen
Trial production started on 22 September. The company has not given a date for series production. The 100 gigawatt-hour figure is the finished plant, not the two lines now running.
The Industrial Brief · 28 Sept 2026 · 6 min
Now · Production
Stellantis stops the Fiat 500 line at Mirafiori for ten days
From 19 to 30 October the electric and hybrid 500 line in the Turin body shop goes onto wage support. The unions put the number at 1,074. The company says output has doubled on last year.
The Industrial Brief · 23 Sept 2026 · 3 min
Now · Production
Mercedes warns two German plants could close
Michael Schiebe told a Sindelfingen works meeting that one German assembly plant and one powertrain plant would shut if costs are not brought down. Mercedes named neither site. The works council said it will fight the threat.
The Industrial Brief · 22 Sept 2026 · 3 min
News · Production
Volkswagen’s Osnabrück plant to build air defence instead of sports cars
Volkswagen’s fading plant has a deal to switch to military work. It may save 1,200 jobs. It will not replace the 100,000 VW plans to cut.
The Industrial Brief · 22 Sept 2026 · 4 min
News · Materials
Brussels puts a floor under electrical steel
From 25 September the EU will quota grain-oriented electrical steel and set a minimum price. The cheap Asian coil that fills transformers and wind nacelles just got a number.
The Industrial Brief · 21 Sept 2026 · 4 min
In depth · Energy
For a heavy plant, the power connection now decides the site
For mills, furnaces, and gigafactories, megawatts have become as scarce as skilled operators. Location is now a power decision wearing a real-estate costume.
The Industrial Brief · 9 Sept 2026 · 8 min
In depth · Energy
Transformer and blade plants have not caught up with the orders
Wind blades, transformers, and switchgear are the hardware of decarbonisation. Many of the plants that make them would be familiar to a supervisor from 1998.
The Industrial Brief · 8 Sept 2026 · 7 min
News · Production
Eurozone factories record their fastest month in four years
Germany climbed the global PMI table in August. For a Werkleiter the question is not the print. It is whether megawatts and skilled nights can absorb the orders.
The Industrial Brief · 1 Sept 2026 · 4 min
August 2026
