Jeep production at the Toledo Assembly Complex
Automotive manufacturing moving back stateside seems to have become a recurring theme during the past few days. Ford recently abandoned its $1.6 billion plan to open up a manufacturing plant in Mexico, while Toyota unveiled a $10 billion commitment to manufacture in the United States. It would appear that Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is the latest to announce expansion in domestic manufacturing, specifically within the Jeep brand.
FCA US publicly announced that the production of the Jeep Wagoneer, the Jeep Grand Wagoneer, and the Jeep pickup truck will all take place in the United States.
The production of these three new Jeep models will involve an overall $1 billion investment in manufacturing. This investment will also result in the projected creation of 2,000 new jobs.
The $1 billion venture will help to retool and refit the Warren Truck Assembly Plant in Warren, Michigan, where the brand-new Jeep Wagoneer and Jeep Grand Wagoneer are set to be assembled. Meanwhile, the enigmatic Jeep pickup truck will be manufactured in the retooled Toledo Assembly Complex in Toledo, Ohio.
Work underway at the Warren Truck Assembly Plant
The production of these three long-awaited vehicle models will help add nearly 2,000 jobs to the Midwest region of the United States, according to projections from FCA US. The company also projects that facilities will be ready by 2020.
The Wagoneer, the Grand Wagoneer, and the yet-unnamed Jeep truck are set to help the Jeep brand take advantage of the growing market for SUVs and trucks among drivers.
A look at the previous 2005 Jeep Gladiator truck concept
“The expansion of our Jeep lineup has been and continues to be the key pillar of our strategy,” stated Sergio Marchionne, Chief Executive Officer of FCA. “Our commitment to internationalize the Jeep brand is unwavering, and with these last moves, we will finally have the capacity to successfully penetrate markets other than the U.S. which have historically been denied product due to capacity constraints. In addition, these all-new products will reach new consumers, as well as those that have been part of the Jeep tradition.”
The addition of the Jeep Wagoneer, Jeep Grand Wagoneer, and Jeep pickup will expand the Jeep lineup of vehicles substantially, adding some diversity in the models that the brand offers. More information, including the name of the pickup model, may become more readily available as the Michigan and Ohio manufacturing projects break ground in the near future.
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