Valeo has announced a new phase in the transformation of its Étaples site into a strategic hub for high-voltage electrification in France. With the "High Voltage 2025" industrial project, the Group is investing in the production of inverters, critical components of the electric powertrain. Christophe Périllat, CEO of Valeo, officially opened the new high-voltage production lines alongside Minister Sébastien Martin, the regional Prefect and local elected representatives. The Étaples site has dominated the 12V and 48V electric motor market with 8.3 million units produced annually and has a workforce of 1,200. The site is becoming France’s centre of excellence for the assembly of high-voltage inverters. The project is backed by a team of 180 R&D experts based directly at the site.
The site has secured its first contracts, with production set to begin in 2026 for electric commercial and passenger vehicles from 2027 onwards. Étaples assembles the inverters and their switching cells by integrating sub-components from Valeo’s sites in Sainte-Florine and Sablé-sur-Sarthe. Valeo plans to recruit 50 new staff by 2025.
Sébastien Martin, Minister of State for Industry, stated: “Under the Prime Minister’s leadership, France is embarking, through the PPE and the electrification plan, on the most ambitious energy project in fifty years, with a clear objective: to move away from fossil fuels and massively electrify the economy and our daily lives. It is a major industrial plan. Valeo’s massive investment in the Étaples site is proof that France is at the forefront of tomorrow’s mobility. By transforming a historic site into a centre of excellence for high-voltage technology, Valeo is not only rising to the challenges of decarbonisation, but is also strengthening our technological sovereignty and securing highly skilled jobs across the country. It is this combination of innovation, R&D and industrial strength that the Government supports in order to build a strong and competitive European automotive sector.”
Christophe Périllat, Chief Executive Officer of Valeo, said: “Étaples epitomises the technological expertise and industrial agility that we must preserve in order to shape the future of European industry. Beyond its production capacity, our ambition is to make France the heart of a sovereign innovation ecosystem. By strengthening our synergies with the French microelectronics and artificial intelligence sectors, we are equipping our components such as the high-voltage inverters produced here – with unrivalled intelligence and efficiency. Faced with intensifying global competition, this alliance between industrial strength and new technologies is the key to ensuring competitive and sustainable European local content.”
This transformation of the Étaples site is part of an electrification strategy launched by Valeo back in 2009. By building on its long-standing expertise in 12V alternators, the Group has established a unique R&D and production ecosystem in France. This industrial base now serves the entire market: from conventional 12V applications, through 48V hybridisation, to high-voltage technologies (400V and 800V).
This technological refocusing is underpinned by a comprehensive development capability centred on three key product families: electric motors, power electronics and thermal management systems. Valeo has made substantial investments in France over the period 2014–2024.
The initiative has been actively ongoing since 2024. Following the opening in 2025 of the Valeo Power Tech Center in Créteil-Valenton a global R&D centre bringing together 400 experts in powertrain and thermal systems Valeo continues to invest in its production sites. With the roll-out of this “High Voltage 2025” industrial project in Étaples, the Group is confirming its position as a major player in electrification in France, capable of driving innovation from design through to the market launch of sustainable mobility solutions.
