Mercedes-Benz is creating 600 jobs in the state of Alabama by opening a new battery plant. It is a move in preparation for going all electric.
The plant will start rolling battery cells a few months prior to the moment the construction of Mercedes-EQ models kicks off in the U.S. The premium carmaker is thus ramping up production of electric cars on three continents: Europe, Asia and North America.
The Mercedes-Benz EQS and EQE will be rolling off the assembly line in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, just yards away from the battery production facility.
Around four million large SUVs have been driving through the gates of the Tuscaloosa plant since 1997. 260,000 SUVs saw the light of day right there, in 2021 alone. It is now the moment for the production center to turn electric and the EQS SUV is the one to begin with. The car is going to be revealed next month. It will roll off the same assembly line as the GLE, GLE Coupe, GLS and Mercedes-Maybach GLS.
Mercedes-Benz has been investing a total of more than seven billion dollars in Alabama. One billion went straight into the battery plant, the logistics centers and for the upgrade of the production line, in order to make it capable of building EVs.
Mercedes-Benz already offers 4,500 jobs plus those in the supply chain
There are currently 4,500 employees, plus 11,000 jobs in the supply and service chain in the region. Approximately two-thirds of the annual production goes abroad. This is how Mercedes-Benz USA becomes one of the largest exporters of automobiles from the U.S.
“The opening of our new battery plant in Alabama is a major milestone on our way to going all-electric. We’re proud to create new, future-proof jobs to build all-electric SUVs ‘Made in the USA’ at a plant that is such an established part of our production family for 25 years,” says Ola Källenius, Chairman of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG.
PHOTO GALLERY:
