Stellantis is Reportedly Making “Productive Headway” on a Long-Term Solution for its Idled Brampton Factory

• Stellantis Canada’s CEO, Trevor Longley, says the company has had meaningful discussions with Unifor and the government.

• One or some of the 11 new models coming to North America in the next few years could be manufactured in Brampton.

• A collaboration with Chinese partner Leapmotor could still be in the cards.

More than two years after production ended at its Brampton assembly plant, Stellantis says it is making headway toward a solution to bring back production and employment to the site.

Opened back in 1987 by American Motors to manufacture the Eagle Premier, Stellantis’ Brampton assembly last built the Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger and Dodge Challenger before production ended back in 2023 for re-tooling.

Plans were initially to produce the next generation of the Jeep Compass compact SUV there, but the threat of tariffs from the Trump administration prompted the automaker to shift production of this upcoming model to Illinois. The current Compass is manufactured in Mexico.

Because of this, about 3,000 Brampton workers have been left in limbo since then, as the automaker attempts to find new products to assign to the second of its two Canadian assembly plants in terms of production volume.

The company was unable to come up with a plan within the timeframe requested by the federal government, which seeks to ensure Stellantis keeps the promises it made in order to receive significant investments in the last few years, most notably keeping its entire Canadian workforce.

Since then, the automaker proposed building Chinese electric vehicles from partner Leapmotor in knocked down form, but this was rejected both by the government and by unions since it would have only employed about 300 workers.

Nevertheless, Leapmotor could still be part of the solution for the Brampton assembly plant, as Trevor Longley, CEO of Stellantis Canada recently said during a celebration for the launch of the 2027 Chrysler Pacifica, manufactured in Windsor, that “Whether it’s something we produce long term here in Canada or something that we import, Leap is a joint partner that we see a big future [with]”.

This is not the only possible outcome, however, as the company also recently announced 11 new affordable models that will arrive in North America in the coming years, including several models priced under $40,000 in the United States and a pair of Chrysler-branded European market Fiat subcompact crossovers to be sold under U.S. $30,000.

While nothing has been confirmed, some of these future products could be manufactured in Brampton.

These two propositions highlight that affordability is important for Stellantis, as Longley confirmed.

Indeed, Automotive News Canada reports him as saying that the company is working to re-enter segments it left years ago with the goal of bringing more affordable products to Canadian consumers, such as with the upcoming midsize Ram Dakota and compact Ram Rampage pickups.

According to Mr. Longley, the viability of Canadian automotive manufacturing remains tied to a guaranteed free access to the American market, as that if where 90% of vehicles produced in Canada are sold.

Therefore, the renegotiation of the Free-Trade agreement set for later this year is likely to play a key part in the future of Stellantis’ Brampton assembly plant.

Source: Automotive News Canada