German automakers are expanding their van and sport utility vehicle production in North America.
Mercedes-Benz announced Friday it will build a new assembly plant for its Sprinter vans in South Carolina, investing a half-billion dollars and creating 1,300 jobs.
Reuters news service said Friday that Volkswagen will announce plans next week to invest about $1 billion and add 1,900 jobs at its Puebla, Mexico, plant to produce the carmaker’s Tiguan compact sport utility vehicle
Mercedes said the new plant near Charleston, S.C., will allow vans to be more economically produced for the growing domestic market. It will manufacture them under the Mercedes-Benz and Freightliner nameplates.
Last year the company, a division of Daimler AG, sold almost 26,000 Sprinters in the United States, second only to sales in Germany.