Stellantis announced it will delay production of the 2026 base-model electric Dodge Charger Daytona at its Windsor, Ontario assembly plant due to ongoing uncertainty caused by the Trump administration’s tariff policies. However, production of other Dodge Charger variants at the facility will continue as planned, and the company confirmed this postponement will not affect jobs at the Windsor plant.
Dodge Chief Executive Matt McAlear explained the company’s flexible platform strategy will allow it to shift focus toward the next-generation Charger Daytona Scat Pack, introduce a new four-door model for the 2026 lineup, and accelerate development of additional models expected to launch in the latter half of 2025.
The decision to postpone comes amid widespread industry reassessment of how to respond to U.S. tariffs, which have added significant cost pressures, and a backdrop of weakening electric vehicle demand. In early April, the White House implemented a 25% tariff on imported vehicles, followed by a 25% tariff on imported auto parts in early May. Manufacturers in the U.S. benefit from an exemption on tariffs for their vehicles. However, Canada has retaliated by imposing a 25% tariff starting April 9 on certain vehicles that do not meet the requirements of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) trade pact.
This is not the first time tariffs have impacted Stellantis’ operations at Windsor. In April, the company temporarily halted minivan production at the plant for two weeks after the initial tariff on imported vehicles took effect.
Stellantis’ broader strategy includes a $2.8 billion investment in the Windsor facility and plans for a $35 billion global investment in electrification and software development. In mid-2022, the company announced all vehicles built on its STLA Large electric platform, including the Dodge Charger and Dodge Challenger, would be produced exclusively at Windsor. This shifted production away from the Brampton, Ontario plant as part of Stellantis’ long-term commitment to electric vehicle manufacturing.
