Renault’s plan for Chinese EV motor assembly in small French town sparks job loss fears

In the Normandy industrial region, beyond Paris, lies Cleon, a town of less than 5,000 residents with a Renault factory. Over the past decade, the factory's workforce has dwindled from nearly 5,000 to 3,124. Renault's planned assembly line, constructed with Shanghai E-Drive for EV motor production, has been met with mixed reactions.

While Renault sees it as a reflection of the company's commitment to the factory, some workers fear the assembly line will only create a handful of jobs and pose competition, potentially leading to more unemployment. The politician who aided the deal also called for stricter made-in-France policies to encourage more Chinese production in France.

As EU and China enter talks to address trade imbalances, including the loss of European automotive jobs, the Cleon plant exemplifies the challenges of job creation in an industry projected to contract, even with Chinese investment. The assembly line is expected to be highly automated, with robots soon following, and could lead to fewer jobs, as many existing tasks become obsolete.

The local member of parliament from the left-wing La France Insoumise party supports stricter regulations to incentivize Chinese firms to produce more in France, arguing that current policies favor Chinese EVs over others. European researchers warn that the automotive sector is likely to shrink due to the EV revolution, leading to further job losses.