Electric vehicles take second place in Stellantis’ $13 billion U.S. investment plan

Stellantis, the international automaker that owns Chrysler, Jeep and Ram, said it would invest $13 billion to boost its U.S. production over the next four years as part of a broader recovery plan led by its new CEO.

Five new vehicles will be developed and produced through 2029 through investments in factories in Illinois, Ohio, Michigan and Indiana. The investment will also support production of a new four-cylinder engine and reopen the Belvidere assembly plant in Illinois, allowing the automaker to expand production of the Jeep Cherokee and Jeep Compass for the U.S. market. In total, more than 5,000 jobs will be created.

Unlike previous multibillion-dollar investment pledges, this one does not focus on electrification.

One of the five new vehicles will be an extended-range electric vehicle – a vehicle combining a battery with a gas generator for additional range – produced at the Warren Truck Assembly Plant in Michigan starting in 2028. The automaker also plans to produce a new large gasoline SUV at the Warren plant.

Remaining products include a next-generation Dodge Durango that will be produced at the Detroit Assembly Complex in 2029, a new mid-size truck that will be assembled at its Toledo Assembly Complex in Ohio, and an all-new four-cylinder engine called GMET4 EVO that will go into production beginning in 2026 at its Kokomo, Indiana plant.

Antonio Filosa, Stellantis CEO and COO of North America, said the investment would drive the automaker’s growth, strengthen its manufacturing footprint and “create more American jobs in the states where we live.”

“Accelerating growth in the United States has been a top priority since my first day. Success in America is not only good for Stellantis in the United States, it makes us stronger everywhere,” Filosa said in a statement.

Stellantis has scaled back its electrification plans for the US market over the past year. The automaker announced in September that it would no longer include an electrified Gladiator in its Jeep lineup as it re-evaluates its product strategy. Earlier that month, the automaker announced it had canceled plans to produce a battery-electric full-size pickup truck. However, Stellantis said it still plans to produce a range-extended Ram 1500 REV, formerly called the Ramcharger.