The situation surrounding Stellantis’ Belvidere plant continues to draw close attention in the United States. After announcing the closure of the facility, a decision that sparked widespread debate, the group later changed course and included the site in a broader plan to relaunch its North American manufacturing operations. The reopening was originally scheduled for 2027, but the timeline now appears set to slip.
According to U.S. media reports and union sources, Stellantis has decided to delay the restart of the plant by around seven months, pushing the target date to 2028. Matt Frantzen, president of UAW Local 1268, shared the update with workers, explaining that the revised schedule comes from internal company documents.
Stellantis delays Belvidere plant reopening to 2028
Based on the information released so far, retooling work could begin between mid-2026 and early 2027, with an estimated duration of 18 to 24 months. In the meantime, the union, through vice president Rich Boyer, is preparing a proposal to present to Stellantis aimed at supporting the gradual return of workers and their direct involvement in the plant’s transformation process.
Stellantis has already confirmed an investment exceeding $600 million for the Belvidere site, which is expected to resume operations with the production of Jeep models for the U.S. market, including the Compass and Cherokee. The plan also includes the creation of approximately 3,000 jobs and represents a key element of the group’s strategy to strengthen domestic manufacturing in the United States.
However, the plant’s recent history has been anything but straightforward. Initially, Stellantis had outlined a far more ambitious project that included a new midsize pickup, a battery production facility, and a large Mopar logistics hub. That plan would have benefited from more than $300 million in federal funding aimed at supporting the transition to electric mobility.
Slower demand for electric vehicles and the end of federal incentives forced the company to rethink both timing and priorities. As early as spring 2025, Frantzen had already confirmed that parts of the original project, such as the Mopar Mega Hub and the battery plant, no longer aligned with the group’s revised strategy.
Leadership changes have added further uncertainty. Following Carlos Tavares’ departure and the appointment of Antonio Filosa as CEO, Stellantis began reassessing several strategic decisions. It will now be up to Filosa to define the final roadmap for the Belvidere plant.
In the coming months, it should become clearer whether the delay represents a temporary setback or another sign of a project struggling to find stable direction. For workers and local institutions, however, the postponement already feels like another significant blow.
