Isuzu Plans to Construct a New $280 Million Facility in South Carolina | Carscoops

      The facility will generate over 700 jobs and will have the capacity to manufacture both ICE and EV models.

      The factory will focus on producing Isuzu’s N-series and F-series commercial trucks.

      In North America, Isuzu sold 44,000 commercial vehicles in 2024.

      This facility occupies a 750,000-square-meter area in Greenville County.

      Japanese automaker Isuzu Motors has invested $280 million to create a new production facility in South Carolina. The site is set to begin operations in 2027 and aims to produce 50,000 vehicles each year. This factory will also help lessen Isuzu’s vulnerability to the extensive tariffs that the Trump administration is implementing.

      The new facility will utilize a variable-model, variable-volume production system, enabling it to adapt to the fluctuating demand for combustion-engine vehicles while remaining versatile enough to accommodate electric commercial vehicles in the medium to long term.

      Moreover, this will be Isuzu's first factory with a production line that does not rely on conveyors or pits, which enhances adaptability and scalability. The company also plans to “automate inspections to eliminate operational errors, guarantee parts traceability, and introduce image inspections and other techniques to prevent the release of defective products.”

      Initially, the plant will manufacture Isuzu’s N-series models, which are smaller trucks with capacities ranging from 7.5 tonnes to 9.3 tonnes. It will also produce F-series trucks with gross vehicle weights of 15 tonnes.

      Situated in South Carolina’s Greenville County, the plant spans 750,000 square meters and will employ over 700 workers by 2028.

      Although Isuzu does not offer its consumer-oriented models, such as the D-Max pickup and MUX SUV, in the U.S. as it does in other locations, America remains a crucial market for its commercial sector. In the previous fiscal year, the company sold 44,000 commercial vehicles in North America and is eager to "further expand its business" in the area.

      President Donald Trump has not yet specified tariffs directed at Japanese vehicles imported into the U.S. However, he recently imposed a 25% tariff on all steel and aluminum imports, effective March 12, which could affect Japan. Following the announcement of the tariffs, Japan requested an exemption from the new measures.