Electric cars are creating a new economy — and leaving some towns behind

Workers and small businesses in Belvidere, Ill., are dealing with the aftermath of mass layoffs, after Stellantis idled its Jeep factory

BELVIDERE, Ill. — Early last year, workers at a Jeep factory here hoped their plant would be converted to an electric vehicle facility as the auto industry revamps for a green-energy future. Engineers came to take measurements for a possible retooling, and rumors spread that electric sports cars were on the agenda.

But those hopes crumbled last month when the corporate parent company, Stellantis, ended production at the 58-year-old plant and laid off roughly 1,200 workers, ripping the heart out of this small town 70 miles northwest of Chicago.

This seems more about stripping America of its manufacturing capability. EV’s are not anyone’s savior.