Liam White 
Severe weather hit Detroit on Friday, June 25, and an ensuing failure of sewage pumps that has left the city’s roadways and low elevation areas still flooded, even days after the rain. The aftermath leaves us with apocalyptic images of submerged cars, pickups, SUVs and even semi trucks along Interstate 94 and other major highways. Many homes are left with water damage to their basements. Some opportunists have taken the liberty of launching jet skis into the newly formed river of sewage water and automotive fluids, casting a bit of light on an otherwise grim situation. The catastrophe directly spills into the automotive industry as well, as the Stellantis Mack Avenue Assembly Complex in Detroit has flooded with a shipping yard full of brand new 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee L SUVs.
According to an article by the Detroit Free Press, the particular models affected by the Jeep flooding have not been officially confirmed, but the photos appear to show Jeep Grand Cherokee and Jeep Grand Cherokee L vehicles. The new Jeep Grand Cherokee L is manufactured at the first new automotive assembly plant in the city of Detroit in 30 years, the Detroit Assembly Complex – Mack, which is an expansion of the existing JNAP plant. The shipping yard is used to corral fresh-off-the-line inventory as they await transport to dealerships nationwide. After finally getting production back up to speed in late April, it seems that Stellantis can’t a break.
A Major Setback On Launching A New Product
“An assessment will be conducted on the condition of vehicles in the yard. We have no additional information to share at this time,” Stellantis told The Detroit Free Press, meaning it may not be immediately clear just how many vehicles were impacted and to what extent the damage was.
The excessive water also delayed the first work shifts of the day with production only resuming at 4:30 in the afternoon. The storms also caused production of the Ford F-150 to come to a temporary halt at the nearby Dearborn Truck Plant as water levels prohibited assembly line workers from getting their positions. The Michigan Assembly Plant, currently launching the 2021 Ford Bronco, was also affected.
As for General Motors, the severe weather didn’t affect production schedules for any of its employees. The Detroit-Hamtramck plant, renamed to Factory Zero, is the only GM manufacturing facility in the area, but is currently undergoing a $2 billion renovation so it can eventually build the GMC Hummer EV, Chevrolet Silverado EV, and other upcoming BT1 platform vehicles.
2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee L Production
The entire new Mack Detroit Assembly Complex employs almost 5,000 people and sits on approximately 266 acres of land. However, the Jefferson North Assembly plant has been building vehicles since 1991 and is currently responsible for the production of the Jeep Grand Cherokee and the Dodge Durango. Both vehicle production lines have seen adjustments in production schedules due to the global semiconductor chip shortage, but production has normalized since. The 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee L had only recently begun production of salable models, with the official media drive program happening just a few weeks ago.
Perhaps someone should ask them if, they’ll scavenge chips from the flooded vehicles? Even if they say ‘no comment’, put the ball in their hands to fumble, or not.
Those vehicles will be sold at significant markup throughout latin America and the Caribbean
So a multilevel concrete parking garage is a novel idea?