Fiat-Chrysler announced today that they will invest more than $1 billion in their Ohio and Illinois plants to retool them as part of Jeep’s future production plans.
The Belvidere Assembly Plant in Illinois is going to receive a $350 million investment in order to produce the Jeep Cherokee which will move from its current production in Ohio next year.
This also means that production of the Dodge Dart and the Jeep Compass and Patriot will stop in September and December, respectively while the company estimates that approximately 300 new jobs will be created.
An earlier report said that FCA was looking to outsource the production of the Dodge Dart and the Chrysler 200 to a partner. The Compass and Patriot are going to be replaced by a single model, scheduled for reveal at the next Los Angeles Motor Show.
The rest $700 million will go to the Toledo Assembly Complex in Ohio where the North plant is going to be retooled in order to get ready for the production of the next generation Jeep Wrangler. As a result of this, FCA estimates that around 700 jobs will be created on site.
The company also said that an announcement regarding the future of the South plant will come at a later date. Recent reports suggest that the specific facility is going to produce Jeep’s upcoming pickup truck which is scheduled for a 2018 launch.
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