“Stellantis confirmed in January its intention to reopen the Belvidere assembly plant for production of a midsize truck, and we still expect a launch in 2027,” says Jodi Tinson, a company spokesperson. She did not specify whether the truck would be electric or gas-powered. 

Meanwhile, hundreds of former Belvidere plant workers appear ready to return to the factory. A Sept. 23 union update notice from United Auto Workers Local 1268 president Matt Frantzen said 960 members are currently on the recall list for the plant. The local once represented about 1,800 people. 

Stellantis shuttered the Belvidere plant in February 2023 as part of a wave of cost-cutting moves. However, the plant appeared to get a second chance after Stellantis was named among the recipients of a $1.7 billion Department of Energy grant meant to support the conversion of shuttered or at-risk auto plants to build electric vehicles. Stellantis was awarded $335 million to convert the Belvidere plant for electrification.