Stellantis blames tariffs for Daytona R/T production postponement at Windsor Assembly

On the same day it announced a $388 million dollar investment in Metro Detroit, Stellantis has confirmed to CTV News it will postpone production of the Windsor-built Daytona R/T line for the 2026 model year due to tariff uncertainty.

On Wednesday, the company made no reference to sales performance of the all-electric muscle car in its decision making, instead pointing to the need to review the impacts of U.S. tariffs before moving forward with planned production.

“Production of the Dodge Charger Daytona R/T is postponed for the 2026 model year as we continue to assess the effects of U.S. tariff policies,” read a statement from Stellantis spokesperson LouAnn Gosselin to CTV News.

“The Charger’s flexible, multi-energy STLA Large platform allows us to focus on the Charger Daytona Scat Pack’s performance as the world’s quickest and most powerful muscle car, add the new four-door model to the Charger mix for the 2026 model year and lean into the new Charger Sixpack models that will launch in the second half of the year.”

The announcement did not indicate any job losses would be associated with the production postponement or when the company may look to bring back the product.

“We don’t know how many [Daytona models] are going over there,” said Greg Layson of Automotive News, in reference to sales of the new model in the U.S.

“It’s possible that that was the best-selling trim level of the Charger Daytona, but it’s possible it’s not.”

Several automakers have scaled back EV production and investment plans considering softer-than-expected demand in the burgeoning sector.

“We’re seeing this shift is not necessarily a reduction in total Charger volumes, but more of a shift in their focus to more of their [internal combustion]-based variants of the vehicle,” said Joe McCabe, president and CEO of Auto Forecast Solutions.

“If they’re not forced to make electrified vehicles to satisfy a carbon footprint then they’re going to look at where the money is, and they have to follow the money.”

McCabe points to Tesla as essentially the only major manufacturer turning a profit on electric vehicles, bringing into sharp relief the struggles of the Big Three and other automakers in meeting lofty government targets to electrify passenger transportation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the fight against global warming.

Another challenge hampering EV sales, Layson notes, is the loss and scale back of government incentives — pointing to Ontario’s lack of an EV rebate as part of the shift sending demand into reverse.

“That hurts when you don’t have a rebate in the biggest market in the country,” said Layson. “When demand falls, production slows. That’s just the name of the game.”

In a statement from Stellantis, spkoesperson LouAnn Gosselin said, “Production of the Dodge Charger Daytona R/T is postponed for the 2026 model year as we continue to assess the effects of U.S. tariff policies. The Charger’s flexible, multi-energy STLA Large platform allows us to focus on the Charger Daytona Scat Pack’s performance as the world’s quickest and most powerful muscle car, add the new four-door model to the Charger mix for the 2026 model year and lean into the new Charger Sixpack models that will launch in the second half of the year.”

The postponement at Windsor Assembly follows a pair of production pauses at the plant, at least one of which Stellantis highlighted tariffs as part of the reasoning; however, Layson doesn’t see this latest move concerning the Daytona line as a major red flag — suggesting Windsor is well positioned to ride out rough waters.

“It’s why I always say, ‘If you’re going to work at an auto factory in Ontario, it’s best to be in Windsor,’” said Layson. “It builds internal combustion engine vehicles, hybrid minivans, and electric vehicles. You can do all three in that plant. And so, when the tides turn, you have something else to build.”

The move comes ahead of shift smoothing in June at Windsor Assembly, which will see alternating layoffs for workers.

While Layson sees the shift smoothing as a sign of normal summer production, he believes the overall picture brings into focus the hesitancy in the sector — pushing the return of the third shift at the plant further down the line as the White House continues to sow chaos for the industry.

“They’re [automakers] not posting any of their financial guidance for the remainder of the year,” Layson told CTV News. “So, there’s a lot of stuff we as journalists, and even analysts, don’t know because automakers are really guarded right now.”