It’s been over a decade since Dodge/Ram last sold a midsize truck in the U.S., but negotiations with the UAW may have changed that. Stellantis agreed to reopen its Belvidere, Illinois facility to build a new pickup model as part of its tentative deal to end the strike.
The automaker announced its decision to close the factory in February, which would have cut 1,200 jobs with the discontinuation of the Jeep Cherokee. Following the tentative agreement, UAW Vice President Rich Boyer said the action saved Belvidere and noted that the plant would pick up two shifts due to the change.
Stellantis officials agreed to give workers better pay and more benefits, and the company will add another 1,000-plus jobs with a new battery production facility in Belvidere. We don’t know which truck model Ram will be built at the site, but it might not be the Rampage currently made in Brazil.
While the Rampage is a small truck similar to the Ford Maverick, Ram could go bigger to compete with the Ford Ranger, Toyota Tacoma, and GM twins. Because of its smaller size, it will likely ride on a different platform than the body-on-frame Ram 1500 REV’s platform. That said, the STLA Large platform could be the ticket, and it offers impressive capabilities, with up to 500 miles of range.
[Image: Stellantis]
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