EVs take a backseat in Stellantis’ $13B U.S. investment plan

Stellantis, the international automaker that owns Chrysler, Jeep, and Ram, said it will invest $13 billion to beef up its U.S. manufacturing over the next four years as part of a broader revival plan directed by its new CEO.

Five new vehicles will be developed and produced through 2029 as part of the investment into factories in Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, and Indiana. The investment will also support the production of a new four-cylinder engine and reopen the Belvidere Assembly Plant in Illinois, which will allow the automaker to expand production of the Jeep Cherokee and Jeep Compass for the U.S. market. In all, more than 5,000 jobs will be created.

Unlike previous multi-billion-dollar investment pledges, however, this one doesn’t focus on electrification.

One of the five new vehicles will be a range-extended EV — a vehicle that combines a battery with a gas generator for additional range — produced at the Warren Truck Assembly Plant in Michigan beginning in 2028. The automaker also plans to produce a large new, gas-powered SUV at the Warren plant.

The remaining products include a next-generation Dodge Durango that will be produced at the Detroit Assembly Complex in 2029, a new midsize truck that will be assembled at its Toledo Assembly Complex in Ohio, and an all-new four-cylinder engine called the GMET4 EVO that will go into production beginning in 2026 at its Kokomo, Indiana, factory.

Stellantis CEO and North America COO Antonio Filosa said the investment will drive the automaker’s growth, strengthen its manufacturing footprint, and bring and “bring more American jobs to the states we call home.”

“Accelerating growth in the U.S. has been a top priority since my first day. Success in America is not just good for Stellantis in the U.S. — it makes us stronger everywhere,” Filosa said in a statement.

Stellantis has scaled back its electrification plans for the U.S. market in the past year. The automaker said in September it would no longer include an electrified Gladiator in its Jeep lineup as it reassessed its product strategy. Earlier that month, the automaker said it canceled plans to produce a battery-electric full-size pickup. However, Stellantis said it still planned to produce an extended-range Ram 1500 REV, formerly called the Ramcharger.