Stellantis has announced the reopening of the Belvidere assembly plant, located in Illinois, which was closed in early 2023. The facility will be reconverted for the production of a new mid-size pickup truck, scheduled by 2027. However, previous plans to build a battery production center for electric vehicles and a parts hub at the same site are now cancelled.
Stellantis’ Belvidere plant to resume operations by 2027 with mid-size pickup focus
The update, communicated by local UAW union president 1268, Matt Frantzen, represents a scaled-down version compared to the renovation project initially planned in the 2023 union agreement between Stellantis and workers. Originally, the company had closed the factory in February 2023 as part of a broader strategy to contain costs.
Frantzen confirmed to Automotive Dive that toward the end of last year, employees received the announcement that “the Mega Hub and battery plant would not become reality at this location.” Stellantis will therefore focus on reconverting the plant for pickup production, a process that could take up to 18 months once started.
Jodi Tinson, Stellantis spokesperson, reiterated the company’s commitment to reactivating production at Belvidere, without directly commenting on the cancellation of the battery factory project. Additionally, it’s not specified whether the new pickup will be powered by traditional engine, electric, or hybrid, although Tinson clarified that the vehicle “will fully leverage our multi-energy capabilities.”
The UAW-Stellantis union agreement of October 2023 originally included adding an electric vehicle battery factory at the Belvidere plant, part of a $1.7 billion U.S. Department of Energy initiative to incentivize electric vehicle production, which included a $335 million contribution in favor of Stellantis for the site. Despite the funding, Stellantis decided not to proceed with the battery plant construction.
The local union had estimated the creation of approximately 1,500 jobs with the reopening, but Frantzen highlighted that, of the roughly 1,800 workers represented, some have already declared they don’t want to return.
