Chrysler LLC has announced that it will close its Newark, Delaware, assembly plant earlier than it had initially intended. Chrysler had announced back in 2007 that it would close Newark by the end of 2009, but now the automaker will speed up closure. Chrysler also announced that it is laying of 825 workers at its Toledo, Ohio, assembly plant by December 31.
Chrysler’s Newark plant produces the Dodge Durango and Chrysler Aspen full-size SUVs, both of which were recently introduced with hybrid gas-electric powertrains. The plant employs about 1,000 workers and has been open since 1951. Chrysler hasn’t announced an official closure date, but has said that the plant will be closed much sooner than the initial “late 2009″ deadline set back in 2007.
The Toledo plant produces the Jeep Liberty and Dodge Nitro, as well as the Jeep Wrangler . Sales of the Liberty and Nitro have been soft ever since gas prices rose, though the Wrangler continues to do relatively well, making it one of the few vehicles seemingly immune to the current market situation.
