Daimler Truck inaugurated a new US$110 million industrial complex in Zárate, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina, reinforcing its long term manufacturing strategy in South America. The facility will produce Mercedes-Benz Atego and Accelo trucks alongside OH and OF bus chassis, while also integrating a logistics center and Argentina’s first remanufacturing operation dedicated to commercial vehicle spare parts. The plant replaces part of the former Virrey del Pino operations and is expected to support both domestic demand and export activities across Latin America.
The project represents the first greenfield automotive manufacturing investment in Argentina in approximately 15 years and follows the operational separation of Daimler Truck from Mercedes-Benz Group in 2021. According to company statements, the site is designed to improve logistics efficiency due to its proximity to port infrastructure and to increase production scalability. Installed annual production capacity may reach approximately 10,000 units.
Source: Automotive World
PSR Analysis. The Zárate investment signals Daimler Truck’s intention to consolidate Argentina as a regional manufacturing platform for medium duty trucks and bus chassis, complementing Brazilian operations through CKD integration and shared supply chain structures. The inclusion of remanufacturing capacity also aligns with growing circular economy strategies in the commercial vehicle sector.
The project improves industrial resilience and regional localization at a time when South American OEMs are seeking greater flexibility against currency volatility and import dependency. PSR
Fabio Ferraresi is Director, Business Development, South America, for Power Systems Research
