Stellantis in Early Talks with Leapmotor for Brampton EV Plant

Stellantis is in early-stage discussions with Chinese electric vehicle maker Leapmotor to potentially produce EVs at the automaker's idled assembly plant in Brampton, Ontario, a move that could revive the facility but has drawn concerns from labor unions and provincial officials over job impacts and local manufacturing requirements.

The Brampton plant, located in a Toronto suburb, has been idle since 2023 after Stellantis shifted production of a planned Jeep SUV to a U.S. facility in response to tariffs imposed by the U.S. administration on foreign-made vehicles. The decision affected approximately 3,000 unionized workers represented by Unifor, who had anticipated new jobs from the project. Stellantis announced the change last year, prompting criticism from Canadian officials who described it as unacceptable and vowed to work with the company, the union, and the Ontario government to secure alternative production.

Reports indicate the talks with Leapmotor, in which Stellantis holds a 20 percent stake since 2023, focus on using the Brampton site for EV assembly. The two companies formed a joint venture last year called Leapmotor International to expand global production and sales...