“Construction’s coming completely back on and we’re finding ways to make up, hopefully, that seven weeks that we lost,” Stewart told reporters at the company’s Brampton Assembly Plant northwest of Toronto on July 21.
Stewart said the company needs to account for the lost time so it can hit its schedule for getting batteries into upcoming electric vehicles that will be built in Brampton and its other North American assembly plants. The automaker is coordinating with its construction team to speed up work, Stewart said, adding that he has “absolute faith” the plant will begin producing battery cells in line with its original 2024 timeline.Stellantis and its joint venture partner LG Energy Solution halted some construction on the site May 15, saying the Canadian government was not living up to subsidy commitments that would level the playing field between Canada and the United States.
As part of the company’s deal with government, Stewart said he gave “reassurance” in writing to both the provincial and federal governments that the company is committed to its plants in Brampton and Windsor. He credited all stakeholders with helping to secure the “next 80 to 100 years” for Stellantis in Canada.
Stewart’s visit to the company’s Brampton plant comes ahead of contract negotiations with Canadian auto union Unifor, as well as a planned retooling project at the site, which currently builds the Chrysler 300 as well as the Dodge Charger and Challenger. The automaker committed $3.6 billion to refit its Brampton and Windsor assembly plants to build EVs in May 2022, but has not disclosed what products either plant will build.