The 2,300 employees of the Renault factory in Douai, which also produces Espace and Scenics, will be placed on partial unemployment according to the management of the company.
The Renault plant in Douai, which produces the Mégane E-tech, the electric version of the sedan which will be marketed from May, will be shut down from April 14 to 25 due to a lack of electronic components, said the builder on Tuesday. This closure will have no impact on the first deliveries of vehicles scheduled for May in France and June elsewhere, Renault management told AFP, confirming information from the Voix du Nord.
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The 2,300 employees of the site, which also produces Espace and Scenic, will be placed on partial unemployment, according to the same source.
An automotive industry largely impacted by shortages
This interruption aims to avoid jolts in production due to the shortage of semiconductors, which has affected the automotive industry for a year, according to Renault, due to the disruptions linked to Covid in the industry, particularly in Asia. Already in March, Renault had to shut down two French factories, for lack of electronic chips, but also parts from Ukraine. The 2,700 employees of the Batilly factory (Meurthe-et-Moselle) had stopped for a week, and the 3,300 employees of Cléon (Seine-Maritime) for three days.
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