Stellantis Is Making a Huge $13 Billion U.S. Production Commitment

$13 billion to U.S. production

Multinational automaker Stellantis, the parent company behind pivotal American car brands like Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram Trucks, announced late on October 14 that it will be making a financial commitment that it touts as the largest in its 100-year history in the United States.

The company announced that it will invest a total of $13 billion over the course of four years to grow its business and its domestic manufacturing base in the United States, which will increase annual production by 50% and support the introduction of five new vehicles across the brand portfolio in key segments, as well as an all-new four-cylinder engine.

Stellantis says that these moves will add more than 5,000 jobs at its plants in Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, and Indiana. In a statement, Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa noted that driving growth in the U.S. has been “a top priority” since his first day, adding that its success in the U.S. will translate to success elsewhere.

“This investment in the U.S. – the single largest in the Company’s history – will drive our growth, strengthen our manufacturing footprint and bring more American jobs to the states we call home,” Filosa said. “As we begin our next 100 years, we are putting the customer at the center of our strategy, expanding our vehicle offerings and giving them the freedom to choose the products they want and love.”

Stellantis is investing across the Midwest

Stellantis’ $13 billion total includes the costs for research and development, as well as supplier expenses. However, the center of the company’s multi-billion dollar plan revolves around new products that will be built at its facilities across four states in the Midwest, which include new cars from Jeep, Dodge, and Ram.

The automaker plans to invest $600 million to reopen the Belvidere Assembly Plant in Illinois to expand production of the Jeep Cherokee and Compass for the U.S. market. This move is expected to create around 3,300 new jobs at the plant when production begins in 2027. 

In addition, Stellantis is committing nearly $400 million toward assembly of a new midsize pickup truck in Toledo, Ohio, where it’ll join the Jeep Wrangler and Jeep Gladiator on the assembly line. This move builds on investments made in January, when it committed to investing in additional technology to support the production of the two Jeep vehicles. When production commences in 2028, Stellantis anticipates that the production shift will create more than 900 new jobs.

In Michigan, Stellantis will invest nearly $100 million to retool the Warren Truck Assembly Plant for the production of an “all-new range-extended EV and internal combustion engine large SUV,” which is expected to be in production by 2028. It said that it anticipates that the new program will add more than 900 jobs.

In addition, the company said it’s also reaffirming a commitment from January, as it expects to invest $130 million to prepare the Detroit Assembly Complex – Jefferson plant for production of the next-generation Dodge Durango. Production is expected to launch in 2029.

Stellantis also confirmed its January announcement, stating its intent to upgrade several of its plants in Kokomo, Indiana, where it plans to produce a new four-cylinder engine dubbed the GMET4 EVO starting in 2026. The automaker said that production of the new powertrain will add more than 100 jobs and invest more than $100 million “to ensure that the U.S. will be the manufacturing home of this strategic powertrain.”

The product launches announced on its October 14 announcement “will be in addition to a regular cadence of 19 refreshed products across all U.S. assembly plants and updated powertrains planned through 2029.”

An investment in the U.S. means divestment for Canada, labor officials say

In a statement to Automotive News, Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa noted that the company shares the Trump Administration’s goal of creating American jobs in domestic plants, stating that the investment reflects its firm belief “in our people, in our dealers, in our suppliers and in the American manufacturing system.”

UAW President Shawn Fain also shares this sentiment. In an emailed statement, he noted the move will bring back good-paying union jobs to the U.S.

“A year ago, Stellantis was on a fast track to moving its U.S. operations out of the country,” Fain said. “Their decision today proves that targeted auto tariffs can, in fact, bring back thousands of good union jobs to the U.S. Wall Street and supposed industry experts said this was impossible. But the race to the bottom created by free trade is finally coming to an end.”

However, the move also reflects a shift from its cross-border operations, as the CEO noted that its Belvedere, Illinois, plant will be the main production hub for U.S.-market Jeep Cherokees and Compasses. Effectively, this would take away production of the Jeep Compass from its facility in Brampton, Ontario, a move that hasn’t sat well with Canadian auto union Unifor. In a statement to AutoNews, Unifor President Lana Payne noted that this move is a symptom of the Trump administration’s isolationist policy.

“Canadian auto jobs are being sacrificed on the Trump altar,” Payne said. “Stellantis cannot be allowed to renege on its commitments to Canadian workers, and governments cannot stand by while our jobs are shifted to the United States. Saving Brampton Assembly must now be this country’s top priority, sending a strong message to any corporation thinking they can take the same egregious actions.”

In a statement to AutoNews, a Stellantis spokesperson said that production of just one model will move from Canada to the U.S. and that it remains committed to Canadian production after over a 100-year history in the Great White North. It said that it’ll add a third shift at its Windsor, Ontario, plant to support increased demand for the Chrysler Pacifica and the ICE versions of the new Dodge Charger.

“Canada is very important to us. We have plans for Brampton and will share them upon further discussions with the Canadian government,” it said.

Final thoughts

Stellantis’s moves are the latest in big domestic manufacturing announcements, including those made by South Korean auto giant Hyundai and Detroit rival General Motors. In an announcement on June 10, GM announced that it’ll invest $4 billion to help adapt the Orion Assembly in Michigan, Fairfax Assembly in Kansas, and Spring Hill Manufacturing in Tennessee for future vehicles in its pipeline.

Nonetheless, these multi-billion-dollar investments in U.S. factories come at a time when President Donald Trump’s tariffs on vehicle imports are putting direct pressure on the auto industry. However, these moves could prove to be long-term benefits for the biggest automakers in the years to come.