By David Shepardson and Nora Eckert
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Chrysler parent Stellantis is moving forward with plans to build a new midsize pickup truck in Belvidere, Illinois, the company said on Wednesday.
In August, Stellantis announced it was delaying its planned investments in the Illinois plant. Stellantis agreed in 2023 to build a new $3.2 billion battery factory and invest $1.5 billion in Belvidere to build new mid-size trucks by 2027. The Italian-American automaker informed its employees of its investment plans on Wednesday in a memo seen by Reuters.
Stellantis Chairman John Elkann met with President Donald Trump last week and touted the company’s U.S. strategy.
The Belvidere plant has been a battleground for the United Auto Workers union since its six-week strike against Detroit automakers in late 2023.
In September 2024, the union filed an unfair labor practice complaint against the automaker, in part because it said Stellantis was delaying planned investments in a new battery plant and a new factory in Belvidere.
A company spokesperson said Wednesday that the new midsize truck “is expected to take full advantage of our multi-energy strategy,” including options for a gasoline vehicle, a plug-in hybrid vehicle and an electric vehicle.
Production of the Dodge Durango has also been a point of friction between the union and the company, with the union previously claiming that Stellantis plans to move production of the three-row SUV offshore.
Stellantis is moving forward with plans to build the next-generation Dodge Durango at its Detroit assembly complex, the company said in the memo.
(Reporting by David Shepardson in Washington and Nora Eckert in Detroit, editing by Matthew Lewis)
