This week, Isuzu Motors announced plans to build a $280 million factory in Piedmont, South Carolina, to boost the company's North American supply chain, specifically commercial vehicles. The new 93,000-square-meter plant in Greenville County is scheduled to be up and running by 2027 and create some 700 jobs by 2028.

The plant will produce approximately 50,000 vehicles annually once production is fully ramped up in 2030. The site is about 750,000 square meters, so the company will be able to store all completed trucks at a single site. 

Isuzu says the new factory will debut a variable-model, variable-volume production system that can also respond to demand for internal combustion engine vehicles. Specifically, the plant will make commercial trucks, including BEV and gas models of Isuzu's N-series and diesel models of the F-series. The company plans to closely monitor the commercial EV adoption in the medium- to long-term and adjust accordingly.

According to Markets and Markets, the global commercial EV market is projected to grow from $60.48 billion in 2024 to $248.2 billion by 2030, driven by increasing demand in the logistics industry.

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The factory will be Isuzu's first to use a production line without conveyors or pits, realizing a highly advanced line that maximizes flexibility and scalability. To establish a quality assurance system for all processes, the facility 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.

Isuzu has been in the North American market since 1984. The company achieved record-high sales in the last fiscal year, selling 44,000 vehicles wholesale to local distributors. North America is a key market for the automaker, and Isuzu is looking to boost manufacturing, sales, and service in the territory. 

The company also hopes to expand its business by sourcing components locally for battery electric vehicles (BEVs), a market it intends to grow over the medium to long- term.

Last April, the Isuzu Group unveiled its medium-term management plan dubbed the "Isuzu Transformation," which aims to expand three areas expected to contribute 1 trillion yen ($6.6 billion) in sales by the 2030s. The three prospective new revenue streams include autonomous driving solutions, connected services, and carbon-neutral solutions.  

South Carolina's Coordinating Council for Economic Development awarded a $7 million grant to Greenville County to help cover the site preparation and building construction costs. The council also approved undisclosed job development credits related to the project.

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