Isuzu North America Corporation has announced that it is establishing a new production base in Greenville County, SC, to expand its vehicle supply capabilities in anticipation of the electrification of commercial vehicles in North America.
The company has purchased a 1,000,000 square foot facility on 200 acres of land it is converting into a state-of-the-art, Isuzu-run, assembly plant.
The size of the Greenville plant will enable Isuzu to consolidate all production-related operations under one roof. This will include KD storage and processing, parts storage, vehicle production and PIO operations. It will also allow for streamlining processes and improving efficiency, the OEM said.
The campus also has sufficient acreage to store all completed trucks at a single site. The plant will give Isuzu direct control over all assembly and logistics operations and will provide Isuzu with the flexibility and speed to meet the demands of a quickly evolving North American commercial vehicle market.
Isuzu’s total investment in the plant (including land, building, tooling and equipment) is expected to equal approximately $280 million dollars. The plant will have a production capacity of 50,000 units by 2030 and will initially produce Isuzu N-Series Gas, N-Series Electric, and F-Series diesel trucks.
Initial assembly operations will begin in 2027 and will further expand in 2028, at which time, the plant is expected to employ more than 700 people.
In addition to expanding its production base in North America, the company aims to increase its procurement of components necessary for the production of battery electric vehicles (BEVs), and to further expand its advanced automotive technology research and development initiatives in North America.
PSR Analysis. Currently, Isuzu produces the gasoline powered NPR and the diesel powered F-Series trucks at the Spartan Motors plant in Michigan while the diesel powered NPRs are imported from the Isuzu plant in Japan. Isuzu also imports the class 3 NPR chassis from Japan which is then up-fitted into the Reach delivery van at the Utilimaster’s facility in Wakarusa, IN. The decision to build this plant seems like a good move for Isuzu. This will enable them to better consolidate their North American operations and prepare for the addition of battery electric NPRs and F-Series trucks moving forward. PSR
Chris Fisher is Senior Commercial Vehicle Analyst at Power Systems Research
