Union leaders expect Belvidere Assembly Plant to restart without EV battery production and parts hub

By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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BELVIDERE — Workers here expect production to restart at the Belvidere Assembly Plant in about two years without the electric vehicle battery plant and regional parts hub that were previously announced as part of the union’s deal with Stellantis.

Crain’s Chicago Business reported on Friday that the $3.2 billion EV plant and regional parts hub are no longer part of the plan, attributing the information to UAW Stellantis Department Director Kevin Gotinsky. Stellantis, however, has not confirmed any plans for the hub or battery plant.

Matt Frantzen, president of UAW Local 1268, said the report came as no surprise. Frantzen said they were notified months ago that the company was backing off the battery plant and Mopar Mega Hub. That word, he said, came down after President Donald Trump signed an executive order to end what he called “the electric vehicle mandate.”

“It would have been nice to have all those other jobs, but I think assembly is where it’s at first and foremost for us,” Frantzen told the Rock River Current. “We’ve got our heads wrapped around just looking at the assembly portion of it and still waiting to solidify what the product is that’s going to be coming here.”

The plant has been idle since February 2023.

In January, Stellantis said in an email that it was committed to building a midsized pickup in Belvidere, returning approximately 1,500 UAW-represented employees to work. That email had not outlined any plans for the Mopar Mega Hub or EV plant.

“Stellantis has no updates to share at this time on the Mega Hub or the battery plant,” the company said Friday in an email response to the Rock River Current.

The company had previously shared plans with union members for truck production to begin in 2027 as initially laid out in the 2023 labor agreement.

Frantzen said the union expects skilled trades to begin work in 2026 to prepare the plant for a new vehicle, with assembly beginning in 2027.

State Rep. Dave Vella, who represents the area that includes the assembly plant, told the Current on Friday that he still hopes to see the plant and hub in future phases of work in Belvidere.

This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on X at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas and Threads @thekevinhaas