Chrysler parent Stellantis is expanding its manufacturing complex in northern Mexico to build Ram 1500 pickup trucks, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Stellantis has been building additional factory space next to its existing plant in Saltillo, Coahuila, the Tuesday report said, citing people familiar with the matter.
Two buildings about a quarter mile long have been built in recent months, according to satellite images reviewed by the newspaper.
Stellantis said it has been making other variants of Ram pickups in Mexico and that no other announcements have been made about Ram 1500 production.
The French-Italian automaker said in a statement that it recently revealed plans to invest more than $235 million in the Sterling Heights assembly plant in Michigan to build future electric versions of the pickup.
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Stellantis will continue to make Ram pickups at its Michigan plant, it said.
It is unclear whether the planned factory space in Saltillo would be used to make battery-powered or gasoline-powered versions of Ram pickups, the WSJ said.
The report on the Mexico plans comes as the United Auto Workers union is preparing multiple strikes in the United States against Stellantis, alleging it has failed to meet commitments it made in the contract signed last year following a six-week strike that cost it about 750 million euros ($816.90 million) in profits.
In August, Stellantis announced plans to lay off up to 2,450 workers at its Warren truck assembly plant outside Detroit after ending production of the Ram 1500 Classic pickup.
Source: OEM
