Automotive-Today.ro

Stellantis is accelerating the rollout of renewable energy generation and storage solutions across its European manufacturing network.

Stellantis’ European manufacturing sites now source 68% of their electricity from decarbonized energy. The company aims for on-site self-consumption to account for 31% of energy used across its European plants in 2026, with leading sites targeting as much as 80%.

https://www.automotive-today.ro/index.php/2026/06/05/stellantis-installed-photovoltaic-panels-across-27-manufacturing-sites-in-europe-with-over-500-mw-capacity/

Continental has completed the sale of its French service and distribution operations, ContiTrade France, to ASC Investment. Continental announced its intention to sell the business in December 2025.

The transaction includes more than 130 company-owned BestDrive outlets, two retreading facilities and the administrative functions supporting the tire and vehicle maintenance business, totaling around 1,200 employees. All service outlets included in the sale will remain part of Continental’s BestDrive France network under franchise agreements. The parties have agreed not to disclose the purchase price or further details of the transaction.

https://www.automotive-today.ro/index.php/2026/06/04/continental-completes-sale-of-its-french-service-and-distribution-operations-to-investment-firm-asc/

Infineon Technologies is realigning its manufacturing footprint in Mexico. The company will gradually transfer production from its site in Tijuana, Mexico, to other sites, strengthening overall scalability, productivity and competitiveness. The Tijuana site focuses on backend manufacturing, including wafer sawing, assembly and testing, and is also home to an Infineon IT and HR service center. It was founded in 1973 by International Rectifier, became part of Infineon following the acquisition in 2015, and today employs several hundred people.

https://www.automotive-today.ro/index.php/2026/06/03/infineon-optimizes-manufacturing-footprint-by-transferring-backend-production-from-mexico-to-other-sites-over-the-next-years/

Valeo, a global leader in mobility technologies, and Zuken, a pioneer in Electronic Design Automation (EDA) software, announced a major strategic partnership. In their joint “Zuken Valeo InnoLab” program, the two companies will create one of the most advanced and open AI-assisted electronic design platforms on the market.

https://www.automotive-today.ro/index.php/2026/05/29/valeo-and-zuken-join-forces-to-redefine-automotive-electronic-design/

At an event marking the 30th anniversary of the Romanian automotive manufacturers’ association ACAROM, Alin Ioanes, CEO of Rombat, warned that the automotive industry is increasingly defined by speed — not only in corporate decision-making, but also in the responsiveness of public institutions and industrial policy.

“We live in an era where we depend very much on speed — speed of reaction, speed of implementation, speed of change,” said Alin Ioanes. “As companies, we have this fast reaction to competition, trying to optimize everything related to costs, processes, etc. But there are two sides of competitiveness: our internal one and the external one — the environment we operate in, the government, the country where we conduct our activity.”

He noted that the same level of rapid response is not visible from public authorities, particularly in relation to long-standing issues such as energy costs and broader competitiveness challenges.

https://www.automotive-today.ro/index.php/2026/05/28/alin-ioanes-rombat-romania-risks-falling-behind-without-faster-decision-making/

At the event marking the 30th anniversary of the Romanian automotive manufacturers’ association ACAROM, Alexandru Plocon, Financial Manager of Continental Tires Romania, said Europe and Romania have the industrial foundations needed to regain competitiveness in the global automotive sector, despite increasing pressure from China’s rapid expansion.

“We are talking a lot these days about what China has achieved over the past five to ten years, about the expansion and market share China has gained worldwide,” said Alexandru Plocon.

He noted that Chinese manufacturers recently announced they had surpassed the milestone of producing more than 1,000 vehicle models in China, many of which are already present in Europe and Romania.

“Yes, it sounds quite frightening, but at the same time it is also challenging,” Plocon stated. “It is a signal that if we were able to achieve these things in Europe in the past, others can now do them as well — and why couldn’t we bring them back and reindustrialize Europe and Romania?”

https://www.automotive-today.ro/index.php/2026/05/28/alexandru-plocon-continental-tires-romania-europe-has-the-expertise-to-rebuild-industrial-competitiveness/

At an event marking the 30th anniversary of ACAROM, Monica Constantinescu, Senior Vice President and Plant Manager at Robert Bosch Mobility Electronics, highlighted a series of major challenges facing Romania’s automotive industry, emphasizing the need for predictability, competitive energy costs, and accelerated workforce upskilling.

“We are facing a number of major challenges, and the first point I would like to underline is the lack of predictability,” said Monica Constantinescu. “In the automotive industry, we work with long development cycles and we need to make long-term plans. We cannot commit to long-term investments without a certain degree of stability.”

She noted that companies are currently dealing with frequent legislative and fiscal changes, often introduced in an ad hoc manner, creating uncertainty for investors and manufacturers.

“This uncertainty unfortunately creates a competitive disadvantage compared to other European countries that offer greater stability,” Constantinescu added.

https://www.automotive-today.ro/index.php/2026/05/28/monica-constantinescu-bosch-this-uncertainty-unfortunately-creates-a-competitive-disadvantage-compared-to-other-european-countries-that-offer-greater-stability/

Romania must provide greater fiscal stability, a clear investment roadmap and a long-term industrial vision if it wants to remain competitive for future automotive investments, according to Firat Elhuseyni, President and Site Director of Ford Otosan Craiova.

Speaking at an event organized by ACAROM marking the association’s 30th anniversary, Elhuseyni said the country’s current automotive production levels are the result of strategic decisions made years ago.

“What we produce today — approximately 500,000 vehicles in Romania — is the result of decisions taken over the last five years,” he said.

Elhuseyni pointed to rising energy costs, infrastructure gaps and fiscal changes as key challenges facing the industry, emphasizing the importance of predictability for investors.

https://www.automotive-today.ro/index.php/2026/05/27/ford-otosan-craiovas-president-firat-elhuseyni-calls-for-fiscal-stability-and-long-term-vision-in-romania/

Romania’s automotive industry is facing the most intense and complex transformation in its history, according to Mihai Bordeanu, Managing Director Dacia Brand South Eastern Europe and Country Head Romania, who called for faster ex*****on, greater accountability and stronger competitiveness across the sector.

Speaking at an event organized by ACAROM to mark the 30th anniversary of the Romanian Automobile Manufacturers Association, Bordeanu said the industry is undergoing “the most intense, the most spectacular, but also the most complicated period in automotive history.”

“When we talk about challenges and what we should do next, from my point of view, we should be more Chinese,” Bordeanu said.

He clarified that the comparison referred to “speed of ex*****on and responsibility,” stressing that Europe’s main weakness lies in the pace of implementation.

https://www.automotive-today.ro/index.php/2026/05/27/mihai-bordeanu-dacia-we-need-chinese-style-speed-in-the-european-automotive-industry/

The Romanian Automotive Manufacturers Association (ACAROM) celebrated yesterday, May 25, the 30th anniversary of its establishment at the Palace of Parliament in Bucharest. In the presence of more than 300 guests — including European and national authorities, senior representatives of automotive companies, universities, and business organizations — ACAROM celebrated three decades of activity and marked an important milestone for a sector that is critical to the Romanian economy.

https://www.automotive-today.ro/index.php/2026/05/26/acarom-celebrated-30-years-since-its-establishment-at-the-palace-of-parliament/