Stellantis announced that it has reached a provisional agreement with the United Auto Workers (UAW) union to reopen the Belvidere facility in Illinois, where production of the Jeep Cherokee was suspended in February 2023. The plant, which employed approximately 1,200 workers, will be reconfigured to assemble a new midsize pickup truck, which will join the Ram lineup of the automotive group.
The Stellantis plant in Belvidere will reopen to produce a new model
According to reports, the new pickup truck could be based on Stellantis’ STLA Large platform, designed for large electric vehicles. It would be a unibody model, different from the Ram Rampage, which uses another platform. The battery capacity will start at 101 kWh and it will increase to 118 kWh, providing up to 800 kilometers of range on a single charge. However, the pickup will also be offered with an internal combustion engine, as UAW President Shawn Fain stated: “We will bring both internal combustion and battery electric vehicles to Belvidere”.
Production of the pickup is expected to begin in 2025, with two shifts of work. Additionally, Stellantis will also build a new battery plant in Belvidere, creating over 1,000 jobs. The agreement with UAW has been welcomed by the plant workers, who will receive benefits until their reinstatement. UAW Vice President Rich Boyer described the agreement as an “important act of solidarity and determination.”
The good news from Stellantis is for its employees at the Belvidere plant, who were left without work last February after Stellantis decided to halt Jeep Cherokee production at the factory.