Stellantis closed the Belvidere, Illinois assembly plant, which was previously responsible for producing the Jeep Cherokee, at the end of February. 1,200 employees had to be let go as a result of the severe choice, with no guarantee of employment in the future. With the automobile behemoth and the United Auto Workers reaching a new tentative deal, thankfully, things are finally improving.
Benefits will be paid to people who were laid off even before the factory starts up again. They'll go back on a short-term, paid layoff with benefits until they're hired again. It gets better: Stellantis plans to build a new battery plant in Belvidere that will generate over 1,000 jobs, according to the UAW Vice President.
It's uncertain what kind of pickup Stellantis will build at Belvidere, so here's where the rumors start. The Ram Rampage, which is currently being produced in Brazil at a plant in Pernambuco, is the first thing that comes to mind. On US land, it has been observed testing on multiple occasions.
Combining the two statements—the UAW VP's discussion of the midsize truck and a battery plant—indicates that the pickup will also be available as an EV or hybrid. As a result, it might be based on the STLA Large platform, meaning it will have a unibody design, in contrast to the larger Ram 1500 REV, which is supported by the STLA Frame.
STLA Large, one of Stellantis' four electric-centric platforms, will support cars with lengths ranging from 185 to 212.6 inches. With a single charge, the battery's capacity will rise from 101 to 118 kWh, providing up to 500 miles of range.
The truck will be available with a gasoline engine regardless of the situation, as stated by UAW President Shawn Fain, who said, "We are bringing both combustion vehicle and battery jobs to Belvidere."