Volvo Opens Its New USA Factory, New S60 To Be Revealed Later Today

Almost three years after beginning construction, Volvo has finally inaugurated its first manufacturing facility in the United States.

Located in Charleston, South Carolina, the new facility has a total production capacity of 150,000 vehicles annually. The plant spans over 1,600 acres (647ha), with the building space covering 2.3 million square feet (213,677 square meters), and includes an office building for up to 300 staff from R&D, purchasing, quality, and sales.

Besides the initial investment that led to the creation of the facility, Volvo will continue to inject money the in the years to come. Approximately $1.1 billion will be invested in the company’s US manufacturing operations, which will create some 4,000 new jobs at the Charleston site. Volvo says that approximately 1,500 staff will be employed by the end of 2018.

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The Charleston facility will start assembling the all-new Volvo S60 this fall. The car is expected to be unveiled today, during a special event held at the plant, and sits on the SPA platform.

From previous teasers, we know that the range-topping flavor will wear the ‘Polestar Engineered’ badging, using an internal combustion lump paired with a small electric motor. The PHEV powertrain will churn out a total output of 409hp (415PS / 305kW) and 494lb-ft (670Nm) of torque in the US model.

Joining the new Volvo S60 on the same assembly lines at Charleston will be the next generation XC90. The company’s flagship SUV will start production from 2021, and just like the sedan, units built in South Carolina are destined for both domestic and international markets.

With the new US manufacturing plant, Volvo now has facilities on three continents. These include the two factories and engine plant in Europe, three car factories and engine plant in China, and assembly plants in India and Malaysia.