Stellantis Plans Joint EV Production with Leapmotor at Idle Canadian Plant

According to a Bloomberg report on April 2, Stellantis is in talks with Chinese automaker Leapmotor to produce battery-electric vehicles at its idle plant in Brampton, Ontario, Canada. The nearly 40-year-old facility was originally scheduled to restart operations in 2025 to produce the Jeep Compass, but Stellantis halted its renovation and shifted production to the U.S. due to newly imposed U.S. tariffs on Canadian goods—an move that drew criticism from the Canadian government. Canada had previously provided financial support for the project and threatened legal action; both sides initiated a dispute resolution process in November 2023. In 2023, Stellantis acquired a 21% stake in Leapmotor for $1.6 billion and formed a joint venture named "Leapmotor International." The current negotiations remain in an early stage, and no final decision has been made. Stellantis stated it is actively evaluating the future use of the Brampton plant and is engaging with the government and other stakeholders to ensure the necessary investment conditions are met.