Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey (R) was in Woodstock on Tuesday to join Mercedes-Benz in officially opening its new battery plant on the automaker’s Bibb County campus. This comes just a few months before the start of production of all-electric Mercedes-EQ vehicles begins at its Alabama manufacturing center. The new factory will eventually add 600 new jobs to the Bibb County economy.
“With the production launch of the groundbreaking M-Class 25 years ago, Mercedes-Benz helped put our state on the cutting-edge of automotive manufacturing,” Ivey said. “Today, with the opening of this new battery plant, Alabama is helping Mercedes accelerate its production of industry-leading electric vehicles. We’re proud to call Mercedes a partner, and we’re excited about the future that we are building together in Alabama."
Mercedes will produce the EQS SUV and EQE SUV at its plant in Alabama, as part of a global push to produce eight all-electric vehicles at seven locations on three continents. The state-of-the-art battery factory near the Bibb County community of Woodstock will provide high-performance lithium-ion batteries for the new electric sport utility vehicle being built at Mercedes’ assembly plant just miles away in Tuscaloosa County.
Ola Källenius is the chairman of the Board of Management at Mercedes-Benz Group AG.
“The opening of our new battery plant in Alabama is a major milestone on our way to going all-electric,” said Källenius. “With our comprehensive approach including a local cell sourcing and recycling strategy, we underline the importance of the U.S., where Mercedes-Benz has been successful for decades.
“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 since 25 years."
Mercedes said that the new battery factory underscores the importance of the United States within its global production network and the status of Alabama as an export hub for luxury SUVs in the electric era.
Michael Goebel is the head of Production North America and president and CEO of Mercedes-Benz U.S. International, as the Alabama operation is known.
“Our team here in Tuscaloosa plays a major role in the global success of Mercedes-Benz,” Goebel said. “We are proud that not only the new all-electric EQS SUV and EQE SUV are being built here in Alabama for markets worldwide, but also their high-performance batteries. Mercedes-Benz’s decision to build a battery factory and launch electric vehicle production in Alabama will position the state as a leader in a new automotive technology.”
Economic developer Dr. Nicole Jones told 1819 News, “Mercedes-Benz’s investment in Tuscaloosa County, Ala. over 25 years ago started the process for our state’s leadership in the automotive sector. Fast forward to 2018, when we stood together with officials from Daimler in Germany at a groundbreaking for what in 2022 is a two million-square-foot plant in Bibb County’s Scott G. Davis Industrial Park. The facility in Woodstock will supply battery packs for Mercedes’ made in Alabama electric vehicles. Mercedes-Benz told us almost four years ago that they wanted to be on the cutting-edge of research and development for this technology, a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels. The expansion will create hundreds of jobs for the Bibb County area. It is a testament to Alabama’s position as a global leader in the automotive industry.”
Greg Canfield is the Secretary of the Alabama Department of Commerce.
“Mercedes-Benz’s decision to build a battery factory and launch electric vehicle production in Alabama will position the state as a leader in a new automotive technology that is poised to dramatically change the direction of the industry,” said Canfield.
In 1997, when Mercedes first came to Alabama, the state was known for producing chickens, rockets, cotton, paper, steel, coal, and automobile racing but there was no significant automaker presence and no assembly plants. The Mercedes decision to come to Alabama changed all of that. Other automakers followed and today the state produces more automobiles than any other state but Michigan.
Today, Mercedes-Benz U.S. International employs around 4,500 people and supports an estimated additional 11,000 jobs with suppliers and service providers in the region. Around 4 million vehicles have left the Tuscaloosa County plant since 1997, with around 260,000 SUVs rolling off the production line in 2021 alone. Roughly two-thirds of Mercedes' annual production is exported to other countries.
Construction on the battery plant began in 2018 and cost Mercedes approximately $1 billion, bringing the company's total investment in the state up to $7 billion.
To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email brandon.moseley@1819News.com.
