A worker at Brampton’s Stellantis automotive plant is seen in this file photo.

The plan to introduce 11 new Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram models in North America by 2030 could create new opportunities for the closed Stellantis Assembly Plant in Brampton.

A story in Automotive News says the recently announced expanded Stellantis product line has renewed optimism for Brampton, which has not produced a vehicle since 2023.

“This creates meaningful potential opportunities for facilities like Brampton as we align future production with our growth strategy,” Stellantis spokesperson LouAnn Gosselin told Automotive News.

The Brampton plant’s future has remained uncertain since Stellantis paused a major retooling project that had been preparing the facility to build the Jeep Compass. The automaker later shifted production of the vehicle to a plant in Belvidere, Illinois, leaving the Ontario assembly plant without a manufacturing mandate.

According to Automotive News, the newly announced product slate is the clearest indication in months that production work could eventually return to Brampton.

The 11 new models are part of Stellantis’ long-term plan to increase North American revenue by 25 per cent by 2030 and boost factory utilization rates across its assembly operations.

While the company has not announced where the future vehicles will be built, union officials representing Brampton workers say many of the upcoming products fit the plant’s manufacturing history.

“A lot of those products are Dodge and Chrysler — so a lot of the stuff that we can build and want to build and have built,” Unifor Local 1285 president Vito Beato told Automotive News.

Beato said the timeline remains the biggest concern for the 3,000 workers, many of whom have now been off the job for roughly two-and-a-half years.

“I do believe we’ll build cars in Brampton, but my concern is the timeline,” he said.

The issue is expected to remain front and centre as Unifor prepares for contract negotiations with the Detroit Three automakers later this year.

 

 


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