Isuzu establishes N.A. base for commercial EVs

Isuzu North America Corporation is establishing a new production base in Greenville County, S.C., to expand its vehicle supply capabilities in anticipation of the electrification of commercial vehicles in North America, it announced. The company purchased a 1 million sq. ft. facility on over 200 acres that it said it is converting into a state-of-the-art Isuzu-run assembly plant.

The 1 million sq. ft. facility in Greenville County, S.C., is being converted into a state-of-the-art, Isuzu-run assembly plant. (Photo: Isuzu North America Corporation)

Noboru Murakami, president of Isuzu North America Corporation, said the establishment of an Isuzu-owned and operated production base in the U.S. reflects the company’s commitment to the region. “The plant will be optimally designed for our needs, streamline our processes, provide us with flexibility to react to changing market conditions and position us for even greater growth in the North American market,” he added.

The new assembly plant will introduce a variable-model, variable-volume production system that produces both internal combustion engine vehicles and electric vehicles. In addition to a highly advanced production, the company said the plant’s quality assurance system will automate inspections “to eliminate operational errors, ensure traceability of parts and introduce image inspections and other methods to prevent the leakage of defective products.”

The size of the Greenville site will enable Isuzu to consolidate all production-related operations — KD storage and processing, parts storage, vehicle production and PIO operations — under one roof. The campus also has sufficient acreage to store all completed trucks at a single location.

Isuzu’s total investment in the plant, including land, building, tooling and equipment, is expected to equal approximately USD $280 million. The plant will have a production capacity of 50,000 units by 2030 and will initially produce N-Series Gas, N-Series Electric and F-Series Diesel trucks.

Initial assembly operations are scheduled to begin in 2027 and will further expand in 2028, at which time, the plant is expected to employ more than 700 people.