President Emmanuel Macron will be driving a French car... Made in Italy!

On May 8, Emmanuel Macron will drive up the Champs-Élysées in his new presidential car. An electric, armored, top-of-the-range vehicle... a perfect illustration of the paradoxes of the European automotive industry. Because if the President wants to send out a strong signal in favor of "made in France", the car in question, a DS N°8, is... made in Italy!

DS N°8, a symbol of electric ambition

This DS N°8, still unknown to the general public, embodies the president's desire to green his Élysée communications. After being criticized for using a hybrid car for the last July 14th parade, Emmanuel Macron is determined to make his mark. According to "Le Canard enchainé" newspaper, he will be driving an electric 100 % for the May 8th ceremonies, celebrating the 80th anniversary of the Allied victory.

This choice is not insignificant: the President has pledged to have 1 million electric cars "made in France" by 2027. But there's a gap between political promises and industrial reality.

A French woman born... in Melfi, Italy

For although the DS N°8 proudly wears a tricolor badge, it is actually assembled in the factory. Stellantis in Melfi, southern Italy. A former Fiat factory, reorganized to accommodate production of the group's future electrified models: Jeep Compass, Lancia Gamma, DS N°8 and DS N°7.

Here's a funny situation: the presidential car, a symbol of French industrial relocation, will come from Italian assembly lines. An unintentional nod to the fact that, within the Stellantis group, model nationality is becoming increasingly blurred: the Alfa Romeo Junior is produced in Poland, the Fiat Grande Panda in Serbia, the Lancia Ypsilon in Spain...

So, is it really "made in France"? The answer is... half yes. While the bodywork of the DS N°8 comes from Italy, its key components are French. The electric motor comes from the Emotors plant in Trémery (Moselle), while the batteries are assembled in Douvrin (Pas-de-Calais), in the ACC gigafactory.

In short, DS N°8 is a true Franco-Italian. An industrial compromise in the image of Stellantis, now a master in the art of mixing origins to optimize costs and production.