Mercedes-Benz Commits $500 Million to American Diesel

Mercedes-Benz is best known for luxury cars and SUVs, but over the last several years the company has created a quiet revolution in the commercial truck and van market. The company’s adaptable diesel-powered Sprinter van series has become the work and utility vehicle of choice for businesses of all kinds.

The Sprinter is available in a variety of bodies, including a stake-side suitable for farm use.

The Sprinter is available in a variety of roof heights and wheelbases, with the buyer’s choice of a 2.1-liter BlueTEC diesel at 161 horsepower and 265 pound-feet of torque and a 7-speed automatic transmission, or a 3.0-liter V6 turbo-diesel at 188 horsepower and 325 pound-feet of torque and a 5-speed automatic transmission. Rear-wheel drive is standard, but on-demand four-wheel drive is available in both single and dual ranges as an option. Both engines use Mercedes’ AdBlue urea injection system to meet applicable U.S. emissions standards.

REWA004 — The essential Sprinter can be outfitted with a four-cylinder or V6 diesel engine, with urea injection to meet all applicable U.S. emissions standards.

Since its U.S. introduction in 2001, the Sprinter has been gaining in popularity, selling about 28,600 vehicles in the United States in 2015. Now Mercedes-Benz is increasing its commitment to the diesel-powered Sprinter (and the smaller gas-powered Metris van) in America.

At this time, Sprinters are made in Dusseldorf, Germany and then each van is actually disassembled again for shipment to America. This allows Mercedes to avoid a 25 percent import duty on finished trucks coming from Europe.

Mercedes created this ultimate 4WD truck to showcase the Sprinter’s versatility. This truck has dual-range 4WD and a diesel V6 engine.

When the vans are disassembled, engines and drivelines are placed into one shipping container, and the bodies and other parts are packed into a different container. Then the containers are loaded onto different ships and sent to Charleston, South Carolina. In North Charleston, a small Sprinter factory employs several hundred Americans to reassemble each van using the exact same parts it had before.

The interior of a Sprinter is a more basic implementation than a Mercedes passenger car, but some of the brand’s luxury touches are used to make the Sprinter more attractive than other work trucks.

To increase its commitment to American manufacturing for Sprinter, Mercedes broke ground this summer on a new factory in North Charleston that will assemble Sprinters from individual parts before the end of this decade.

The plant is expected to employ up to 1,300 Americans directly, with about 400 additional jobs at direct suppliers co-located nearby. One of those suppliers is Knapheide, an American producer of customized truck components, who will build their own production facility adjacent to the Sprinter factory.

This aerial view shows the land that has been cleared for the new Sprinter factory, which is expected to begin producing vehicles by the end of this decade. The existing reassembly factory can be seen at right. Photo courtesy of Mercedes-Benz.

The Sprinter factory building will cover 1.1 million square feet, plus a parking lot for finished Sprinters that will cover 2.8 million square feet. This construction is in addition to the existing reassembly plant, which covers 400,000 square feet. All facilities included, the new Mercedes installation will occupy about 1.5 square miles.

REWA007 — Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) spoke at the ground breaking ceremony. He emphasized international trade in his remarks.

Governor Nikki Haley and Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina both spoke at the groundbreaking ceremony, praising Mercedes-Benz for its investment in the state. The total investment Mercedes is making in the North Charleston factory is expected to exceed $500 Million, and will make Mercedes-Benz one of the largest employers in South Carolina and one of the largest diesel engine manufacturers in America.