Mercedes-Benz recently broke ground on its first U.S. van assembly plant it plans to build in Charleston, South Carolina. The plant will build the full-size Sprinter van and, possibly, the mid-size Metris van.

 

Currently, Mercedes assembles the vans part of the way in Germany and then ships them to the U.S. to be finished off. Now, with their new facility in Charleston, they will be able to build and assemble their popular vans from scratch. This will lower costs and help Mercedes-Benz maintain their competitive edge as American demand for European-style vans, like the Sprinter, Ford Transit, and Ram ProMaster, continues to grow.

 

While the United States has been receiving the Sprinter (with Mercedes, Dodge, and Freightliner badging) since 2001, the Metris only launched in the U.S. as of the 2016 model year. It was released in the U.S. to keep up with Ford’s popular Transit Connect and the new Ram ProMaster City and Chevy City Express.

 

"The market environment has completely changed," said Matthias Geison, Head of Product Management for Mercedes-Benz Vans USA. Last year, he noted, European-style vans outsold traditional American designs for the first time. This is partly due to classic U.S. models, such as the Ford Econoline, being phased out.

 

Mercedes is also considering battery-electric versions of the Sprinter and Mertis. These vans, should they get the green light, probably won’t go into production until the end of the decade, around the same time the Charleston plant opens for the first time.