During a visit to the Valeo site in Sainte-Florine, Laurent Wauquiez, Member of Parliament for Haute-Loire and Special Councillor of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Region, and Valeo CEO Christophe Périllat announced that a production line for sovereign electric drone motors will be set up in France, backed by financial support from the Region. Drawing on its experience in electrification, Valeo has developed a range of electric motors for drones, suited to both civil and defense uses. Because these motors do not depend on scarce heavy rare earths, they help reduce supply-chain vulnerability.
The Sainte-Florine site already has the core skills needed to produce drone components, including assembly, plastic injection, and electronic circuit board manufacturing. A first contract was announced in July 2026, and production is scheduled to start in early 2027.
Périllat explained that the project reflects Valeo's "Beyond Auto" strategy, which brings together the company's automotive technology expertise and its industrial presence in France to offer an initial range of sovereign electric motors. He thanked the Region for helping to establish the new line at Sainte-Florine and confirmed that the first electric drone motor free of critical rare earths will enter production in early 2027.
Wauquiez said that industrial sovereignty is built through concrete action. By working with Valeo, he noted, the aim is to produce in France, innovate in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, and keep control of strategic technologies. He added that drone motors without critical rare earths will be developed and manufactured in Sainte-Florine, strengthening the country's industrial autonomy, and said the Region is proud to back a project that supports the jobs of tomorrow
