A worker at Brampton’s Stellantis automotive plant is seen in this file photo.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis creates meaningful potential opportunities for facilities like Brampton as we align future production with our growth strategy,\u201d Stellantis spokesperson LouAnn Gosselin told Automotive News.<\/p>\n
The Brampton plant\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
According to Automotive News, the newly announced product slate is the clearest indication in months that production work could eventually return to Brampton.<\/p>\n
The 11 new models are part of Stellantis\u2019 long-term plan to increase North American revenue by 25 per cent by 2030 and boost factory utilization rates across its assembly operations.<\/p>\n
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\u2019s manufacturing history.<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of those products are Dodge and Chrysler \u2014 so a lot of the stuff that we can build and want to build and have built,\u201d Unifor Local 1285 president Vito Beato told Automotive News.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cI do believe we\u2019ll build cars in Brampton, but my concern is the timeline,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The issue is expected to remain front and centre as Unifor prepares for contract negotiations with the Detroit Three automakers later this year.<\/p>\n
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