Next-Generation Ram 1500's Tight Timeline Gets a Helping Hand

Steph Willems
by Steph Willems

The soon-to-be-dead Chrysler 200’s legendary unpopularity saw many Fiat Chrysler Automobiles workers laid off, but a next-generation pickup is bringing them all back — and then some.

The automaker has received a handout from the Michigan Strategic Fund, allowing it to add an extra 700 autoworkers at its Sterling Heights assembly plant to work on a Very Important Product.

That product, of course, is the 2019 Ram 1500, which FCA has on the tightest of schedules. Ram, and FCA as a whole, needs the next-generation pickup to hold its own against GM and an ultra-competitive Ford. Next to Jeep, Ram is FCA’s biggest breadwinner.

According to Crain’s Detroit Business, the fund handed FCA a $4.6 million grant today, specifically aimed at hiring more workers. Once FCA unceremoniously ushers the 200 into its grave this December, the automaker plans to move Ram 1500 production over from its Warren assembly plant. Retooling Sterling Heights comes with a $1.5 billion price tag.

Earlier this year, 1,300 workers got the boot when FCA cut a production shift (all thanks to the tanking 200). To build the Ram, FCA plans to recall those workers from layoff, while adding another 700. Before the new hires, Sterling Heights should have a base employment of 4,600 workers.

FCA is so worried about delays that it recently granted some Ram engineers the authority to make their own decisions, all in the interest of speeding up development. Production is scheduled to begin on January 28, 2018 — the same month as the model’s first prototype.

[Image: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles]

Steph Willems
Steph Willems

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12 of 46 comments
  • Corollaman Corollaman on Sep 27, 2016

    They got no midsize nor compact car at all. Dodge and Chrysler would be vulnerable, only Jeep would survive.

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    • PenguinBoy PenguinBoy on Sep 27, 2016

      They have obviously decided that the market has shifted away from small sedans, and that they are a low margin product not worth investing in. FCA hasn't had a good name in small cheap cars since the *original* Dodge Dart was sold; fixing this would take years for little reward, and would not be a good use of their scarce resources. If gas prices spike, they'll just sell more CUVs. The market for small cars isn't coming back anytime soon- and I say this as someone who likes driving small cars...

  • SCE to AUX SCE to AUX on Sep 27, 2016

    I wonder when the Michigan Strategic Fund will help Tesla open a store there, since they're giving money to mfrs.

    • VoGo VoGo on Sep 28, 2016

      Apparently, the strategic fund is for foreigners, not American automakers.

  • Zackman Zackman on Sep 27, 2016

    I can see it now - another new or newly-developed Chrysler product rushed into production, beta testing courtesy of its customers. Let the lawsuits begin... I sincerely hope not, though.

    • Scoutdude Scoutdude on Sep 28, 2016

      Actually letting the engineers make some of the decisions without intervention from the bean counters could possibly help them produce a better product. Of course once it goes into production those bean counters will have their way and the engineers will be back at the drawing board with the mandate to remove $x dollars from this assembly and $xx dollars from that.

  • Kkop Kkop on Sep 27, 2016

    Commenters on TTAC are dependably predictable whenever trucks are discussed: who needs a truck other than contractors, capitalist excess, etc. Also, nice to see my fellow Americans root for jobs to be created in the USA - not. I happen to have two Ram 1500 trucks and love them. Also, even if gas prices spike, I'll survive at 20+mpg. The utility of them is just too great to get rid of them.

    • See 2 previous
    • VoGo VoGo on Sep 28, 2016

      @28-Cars-Later I am jealous of truck owners - I could never haul that much air in our 4Runner, at least not with any predictability.

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