After deciding to build electric vehicles at their Alabama plant, Mercedes-Benz might find themselves having to push C-Class output out of the country.
The C-Class represents roughly 20% of the plant’s production, with Mercedes building some 72,000 units in 2016 and is on track for 57,000 this year.
Mercedes global sales boss, Britta Seeger simply said “We will see”, when asked whether C-Class production will move elsewhere, reports Autonews.
Back in September, Daimler said that it would invest $1 billion in the Vance, Alabama plant in order to assemble fully electric utility vehicles under its EQ sub-brand. EQ line models are expected to go into production in 2020, with an electric SUV the size of the Mercedes GLE leading the way.
Aside from the C-Class sedan, the plant also assembles the GLE and GLE Coupe, as well as the larger GLS.
“The most important point for us was to make sure we have the EQ production in the U.S.,” added Seeger. “If you have electric mobility, it makes sense to go very regional because you want to avoid huge transportation.”
Mercedes thinks that the EQ line could account for 15 to 25% of its global sales by the year 2025, which in turn means that other models, such as the C-Class sedan, could depart the Alabama plant.
According to IHS Markit exec, Joe Langley, the C-Class is likely to move away from Alabama during its next redesign, which is expected to arrive in 2021. Mercedes is also building the C-Class in Germany and South Africa, although at this point it is unclear where production would end up if the nameplate will indeed be moved out of the U.S.
Officially, Mercedes has yet to make a decision on this matter.
“If we would stop, then, for sure, you would need to import,” added Seeger. “But it’s not a decision we are taking currently.”
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