Fiat Chrysler Automobiles plans to invest $4.5B in five Michigan plants in order to help address capacity problems and make Detroit happy.
As Kristin Dziczek, vice president of industry, labor and economics at the Ann Arbor-based Center for Automotive Research said: “FCA just became everyone’s darling.” These plants will build electrified future Jeeps, RAM trucks and components such as Pentastar engines for these vehicles.
The tune of this news piece is in stark contrast with what General Motors has been going through over the last few months. FCA’s actions would create roughly 6,500 new jobs including 4,000 positions to staff the assembly lines alone.
The two Mack Avenue plants will be converted to build the next-generation Jeep Grand Cherokee. The news story says that there will be new plug-in hybrid version of the Grand Cherokee as well as a 3-row iteration.
Meanwhile, the Warren Truck Assembly plant is preparing to begin production of two all-new full-size Jeep SUVs, the Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer. As well, the Jefferson North plant is to be retooled to continue production of the Dodge Durango and the Jeep Grand Cherokee. It is clear that much of FCA’s hopes and profits lie in the Jeep brand.
All these new trucks are expected in the fall of next year which means Detroit’s got lots of work to do.
The rendering is of the new Mack Avenue Assembly Complex once FCA invests $1.6 billion to convert the two plants into the future assembly site for the next-generation Jeep® Grand Cherokee, as well as an all-new three-row full-size Jeep SUV and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) models, adding 3,850 new jobs to support production. | Photo: FCA
