Daimler wants to expand the electromobility and is investing in a US location. This puts the group in the ranks of competitors, which also put millions in the US market.
Thursday, 21.09.2017
21:19 clock
Daimler invests a billion dollars for his electric carPlans in the Mercedes location Tuscaloosa in the US state of Alabama. “A large part of the investment is to flow into the implementation of the electric offensive,” the group said. In addition to the conversion of the production, this also includes a battery plant. He plans more than 600 additional jobs.
Daimler thus joins the circle of car companies that are increasing their investments in the USA, even though the highly profitable market is slack. BMW announced in June that it would invest another $ 600 million in its Spartanburg, South Carolina, factory and create an additional 1,000 jobs by 2021. The Japanese carmakers Toyota and Mazda are planning a joint plant with a capacity of 300,000 cars per year and 4,000 jobs. Honda wants to expand its factory in Ohio.
With the billion-dollar investment, Daimler can the accusations of US President Donald Trump against the German carmaker and their supposedly unfairly high exports to the US. However, the reason for the investment decision is the already announced changeover to more models with emission-free drive. The Dax Group is aiming for a share of the global sales of about a quarter by 2025 with pure electric cars. By 2022, more than ten models are planned.
Expansion of electromobility
With the investment of the equivalent of 840 million euros, the production network in Europe, China and the US is prepared for the expansion of electromobility, said Mercedes production manager Markus Schäfer. Mercedes-Benz now has six locations on three continents for the construction of electric vehicles.
At the Tuscaloosa plant, pure electric cars and those with hybrid or internal combustion engines could all come off the production line, she explained. That dampens the costs. The site, with its approximately 3,700 employees, mainly builds the big SUVs GLS and GLE, of which 70 percent are destined for export from the USA. The C-Class also runs there from the band for the North American market. Last year, the production amounted to more than 310,000 vehicles.