- Stellantis has hired 1,700 staff to run Windsor’s third shift.
- Canadian plant builds the Pacifica and Charger models.
- Dodge recently started selling the six-cylinder Charger.
The new Dodge Charger no longer carries the cultural weight it once did, thanks in part to the absence of a true-blue American Hemi. And the Chrysler Pacifica? That redesign glow faded a while ago. Even so, demand for both has been strong enough for Stellantis to greenlight a third shift at its Windsor Assembly Plant in Canada. It is a solid show of faith in a factory that, until recently, seemed to attract more headlines than high fives.
Read: GM And Stellantis Got The Cash, Now Canada Wants A Refund
Stellantis has been in the spotlight in Canada for all the wrong reasons in recent months after its controversial decision to cancel plans to build the new Jeep Compass there and instead manufacture it in Illinois. The move prompted the Canadian government to seek hundreds of millions in restitution for financial support previously granted to the automaker.
Plans to add a third shift at the Windsor, Ontario, factory have been in place since a new collective bargaining agreement was secured in 2023. The plant was originally scheduled to return to three shifts for the first time since 2020 toward the end of 2025, but the rollout was delayed until this month.
Currently, the Chrysler Pacifica and Dodge Charger are the only two models built there. The new-gen Charger has been the subject of controversy since its release, and in all-electric guise, it has failed to sell in the same volume as its ICE-only predecessor. In fact, last year Dodge sold just 7,421 Charger BEVs, compared to the 34,754 examples of the old model that were delivered in 2024.
What’s Driving Demand?
A key factor appears to be the arrival of the twin-turbocharged Sixpack version, which has helped restore some momentum to the Charger lineup.
Then there’s the Chrysler Pacifica. It has been around in its current form since 2020, and despite facing fierce competition from the likes of the Toyota Sienna, Honda Odyssey, and Kia Carnival, it remains popular. Last year, 110,006 units were sold in the US, a 2 percent rise from the 107,356 the year prior.
More: They Mocked Minivans For Years, Now Americans Are Fueling A Massive Sales Surge
According to Unifor Local 444 president, James Stewart, the addition of a third shift has led to the creation of 1,700 new jobs at the site.
“We know Stellantis has been challenged with some of the decisions they made in Canada by our union, but they have lived up to this commitment,” he told CBC. “It’s exciting for the people that already work there, and it’s really exciting for the people that are walking in the plant for the first time.”
