US - The OEM recently held a groundbreaking ceremony at the site in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. It is located seven miles from the Mercedes-Benz Cars plant, which produced around 300,000 units in 2017, in order to support the production of electric SUVs under the EQ brand.
"The widely export oriented Mercedes-Benz plant in Tuscaloosa is a high-tech production facility with a successful history and an exciting future in terms of our brand in the US," commented Markus Schäfer, member of the divisional board of Mercedes-Benz Cars, production and supply chain. "We aim to play a pioneering role in the development of e-mobility and are well prepared to accomplish this mission."
News of the groundbreaking comes a year after the company said it would invest $1bn in its activities in the US. At the same time, the first Mercedes-Benz GLE SUV left production lines at the Tuscaloosa plant, and is now made alongside the GLE Coupe, GLS and C-Class sedan.
The OEM has also recently started building a battery production facility in Thailand. Set to begin operations at the beginning of 2019, the factory will help Mercedes-Benz to keep up with "growing demand for electric mobility in the region."
