The massive $4.8 billion agreement between Stellantis and the United Auto Workers union, which planned to revitalize the Belvidere facility with new production plants, will not be implemented. The UAW confirmed this in recent days, definitively closing the project announced in autumn 2023.
Stellantis changes plans in Belvidere: parts center and battery plant canceled
Initially, the agreement included three main interventions: transforming the current factory into a $100 million Mopar distribution center, building a $3.2 billion battery plant, and a new $1.5 billion site dedicated to a mid-size pickup.
Now, according to Automotive News, Stellantis will only proceed with the production of the new pickup, scheduled for 2027. Both the parts center and the joint project for battery manufacturing will be dropped.
Kevin Gotinsky, a union official for Stellantis, specified that the company will maintain its commitment to reopening Belvidere, employing approximately 1,500 workers on two shifts, but with a scaled-down plan compared to the initial promises. This decision comes after January’s statements, when Stellantis had already anticipated a revision of investments due to changing market conditions.
The Belvidere site, which until 2023 had hosted the production of the Jeep Cherokee, therefore remains destined for a more limited future than expected.
