- The factory will produce Isuzu’s N-series and F-series commercial trucks.
- Isuzu sold 44,000 commercial vehicles in North America throughout 2024.
- The facility sits on a 750,000-square-meter site in Greenville County.
Japanese manufacturer Isuzu Motors has committed $280 million to establish a new production facility in South Carolina. It says the site will begin operations in 2027 and will ultimately have the ability to produce 50,000 vehicles annually. The factory will also play an important role in reducing Isuzu’s exposure to widespread tariffs being introduced by the Trump administration.
The new factory will incorporate a variable-model, variable-volume production system to allow it to respond to changing demand for combustion-powered vehicles, while remaining flexible enough to include electric commercial vehicles in the medium to long term.
Read: Isuzu D-Max And MU-X Gain New Engine And Gearbox
In addition, this will be the first Isuzu factory to have a production line that doesn’t use conveyors or pits, improving flexibility and scalability. The company also said it will “automate inspections to eliminate operational errors, ensure traceability of parts, and introduce image inspections and other methods to prevent any outflow of defective products.”
Vehicles initially scheduled to be built at the plant will include Isuzu’s N-series models, smaller trucks rated at between 7.5 tonnes and 9.3 tonnes. The plant will also be responsible for building F-series trucks with gross vehicle weights of 15 tonnes.
The plant is located in South Carolina’s Greenville County and sits on a 750,000-square-meter site. It will employ more than 700 people by 2028.
While Isuzu doesn’t sell its consumer-focused models like the D-Max pickup and MUX SUV in the US like it does in other markets, America is still an important market for the company’s commercial division. In the last fiscal year, it sold 44,000 commercial vehicles across North America and is wanting to “further expand its business,” in the region.
President Donald Trump has yet to announce specific tariffs targeting Japanese vehicles that are imported into the United States. However, he did recently order 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports effective from March 12, and this could impact Japan. Shortly after the tariffs were announced, Japan asked for an exemption from the new tariffs.
