Sep 6, 2026
Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer BYD Co. has inquired about acquiring Stellantis NV’s shuttered assembly plant in Brampton, ON, raising fresh questions about the future of thousands of displaced automotive workers and Canada’s broader vehicle manufacturing strategy.
Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown told Bloomberg that BYD approached his office approximately six months ago to discuss converting the 269-acre property into a transit bus production facility. The 40-year-old assembly plant has sat idle since December 2023.
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The facility was originally slated to undergo retooling to build the next-generation Jeep Compass. However, Stellantis halted work at the site following changing trade conditions and trade tension with the United States. The automaker subsequently shifted planned Jeep Compass production to its Belvidere, Ill., facility as part of a major investment push across the US Midwest.
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Global interest emerges amid trade friction
The potential entry of BYD into Ontario comes at a delicate time for Canadian manufacturing. Most vehicles produced in Canada are exported south of the border, making local assembly operations vulnerable to US auto policy and tariffs.
Brown suggested to Bloomberg that international interest highlights new possibilities for domestic auto hubs as traditional cross-border trade faces headwinds.
“If the U.S. takes a position that causes us to no longer be able to be a partner with them on autos, there is a world of possibilities,” Brown told Bloomberg, adding that “there are global companies that want Canadian manpower.”
Brown noted that BYD is not the only entity to express interest in the 2.95-million-square-foot facility. Inquiries have also come from Leapmotor International — a joint venture involving Stellantis and Chinese EV maker Zhejiang Leapmotor Technology Co. — as well as an unnamed Italian automaker and Canadian defence contractors Roshel Inc. and Dominion Dynamics.
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Union frustration over lost commitments
For the roughly 3,000 workers displaced by the Brampton shutdown, news of prospective buyers arrives after months of frustration and friction with Stellantis.
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Unifor, the union representing Canadian autoworkers, strongly criticized Stellantis when the company moved planned vehicle production to Illinois. According to Global News, Unifor called the decision to pull production out of Ontario “an egregious violation” of prior agreements.
“Stellantis’ actions this week are a blackmark on the company’s 100-year history of automaking in Canada,” the union stated in response to the shift, accusing the corporate parent of betraying the trust of its local workforce. Unifor leadership emphasized that any prospective plan for the site’s future must directly involve union representation.
Uncertainty surrounds long-term transition
Stellantis has indicated it’s exploring options to sell or re-purpose the Brampton property, though no transaction has been finalized. A spokesperson for Stellantis, LouAnn Gosselin, stated in an email to media outlets that the automaker remains focused on finding a sustainable manufacturing solution for the site.
While municipal officials hold out hope that a new buyer could rehire local unionized assembly workers, significant hurdles remain. Transitioning a major automotive plant from passenger cars to commercial electric buses or military gear involves distinct retooling requirements, workforce skill shifts, and regulatory approvals.
Brown acknowledged that while interested firms noted existing plant equipment could aid a transition, the ultimate choice rests on commercial viability. Representatives for BYD have not publicly commented on the inquiries.
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Leslie Kennedy served as an editor at Thomson Reuters and for Star Media Group, followed by a number of years as a writer and editor and content manager in marketing communications, before returning to her editorial roots. She is a graduate of Humber College’s post-graduate journalism program and has been a professional writer and editor ever since.
