The City of Toledo is preparing to deliver a last minute incentive package to Fiat Chrysler Automobiles in an attempt to convince the company to keep manufacturing the Jeep Wrangler in the city.
The package is currently being finalised and is set to be sent to the Fiat Chrysler, the latter of which acquired Jeep in 1987, by the end of the week.
Exactly what the city and its partners will offer Fiat Chrysler remains unclear but Toledo’s director of economic development, Matt Sapara, said he expected to hear a response soon.
“I don’t have a timeline on when Fiat Chrysler will make a decision on it, but I anticipate it will be fairly soon,” he said.
The Toledo Assembly Complex produced 511,466 vehicles in 2014, the most ever, with Jeep global vehicles sales increasing by 39% to an all-time annual record of 1,017,019 units.
But despite such a successful 2014 for the company, the future of the Wrangler in Toldeo has been in limbo since last fall, when the company stated that it might need to move production elsewhere because of cost concerns.
The Jeep Wrangler has been built in Toledo since 1992, but current demand for the vehicle has pushed production to the limit.
The next generation of the Jeep Wrangler is due in 2017, leaving little time before a decision is required on the where the new version of vehicle is to be made.
Industry experts have estimated it could cost as much as $400m for Fiat Chrysler to build a new production plant in Toledo.
