Stellantis Wants to Build Chinese EVs in Brampton — Canada Divided

Stellantis and Leapmotor: Chinese EVs Built in Ontario?

This is arguably the most explosive automotive news in Canada this week. Stellantis, the giant behind Chrysler, Dodge, and Jeep, is in advanced talks with its Chinese partner Leapmotor to build electric vehicles at its idle Brampton, Ontario assembly plant. If the deal goes through, it would be the first major Chinese automotive investment in Canada since the Ottawa-Beijing trade deal in January 2026.

The Brampton plant, which once employed thousands of workers assembling the Chrysler 300 and Dodge Charger, has been idle since Stellantis decided to end production of those internal combustion models. Restarting it with Chinese EVs would be a spectacular — and extremely controversial — turnaround.

Doug Ford Says No — Ottawa Sets Conditions

The political reaction was swift. Ontario Premier Doug Ford called the talks "unacceptable." For Ford, the idea of building Chinese cars on Ontario soil is a direct threat to local jobs and the Canadian auto industry. It's a strong political message, especially in a province where the auto sector employs over 100,000 people.

Federal Industry Minister Melanie Joly, however, didn't completely close the door. She set strict conditions: no "cars in a kit" imported from China for simple assembly. Joly demands the project support the local supply chain, receive backing from the provincial government and Unifor, the autoworkers' union. In short: if Stellantis wants Chinese EVs in Brampton, it has to create real Canadian jobs.

Leapmotor: Who Are They and Why Canada?

Leapmotor (Zhejiang Leapmotor Technology Co.) is a Chinese EV maker founded in 2015. Stellantis holds 51% of Leapmotor International, the joint venture responsible for sales outside China. Their flagship T03 is a small urban EV selling for about $15,000 CAD in Europe. The C10, a family SUV, is positioned around $35,000 CAD.

For Stellantis, it's a pragmatic solution: rather than leaving a factory closed and thousands of workers unemployed, restarting Brampton with affordable EVs would preserve jobs while meeting growing demand for accessible EVs in Canada. For Leapmotor, it's a gateway to North America without the 100% tariffs imposed by the United States.

Impact on the Canadian Chinese EV Market

This news changes the market dynamics. Until now, we were talking about BYD, Chery, and Geely as importers of vehicles built in China. With Stellantis-Leapmotor, we're talking about LOCAL manufacturing of Chinese EVs. That's a fundamental difference — vehicles assembled in Canada wouldn't be subject to the 49,000-unit quota or the 6.1% tariff.

For Canadian consumers, this potentially means more choices and even more competitive pricing. For Ontario's auto industry, it's a dilemma: accept Chinese technology to save jobs, or reject it to protect traditional automakers. It's a debate that will dominate Canadian automotive news for months.

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