- Assembly of 2.0-liter 4-cylinder gasoline engines for the Infiniti Q50 sports sedan and Mercedes-Benz C-Class and their derivatives begins at new Decherd, Tennessee facility
- New 310,000-square foot facility was developed as a collaboration between the Renault-Nissan Alliance and Daimler AG
- Plant represents a $319 million investment and will support an estimated 400 new jobs once full capacity of 250,000 engines annually is achieved
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Infiniti today began assembly at the Infiniti Decherd Powertrain Plant, a collaboration between the Renault-Nissan Alliance and Daimler AG. The first engine to be assembled at the all-new facility is a 2.0-liter turbocharged gasoline 4-cylinder developed by Daimler. The engines will initially be used in European versions of the Infiniti Q50 sports sedan and the Mercedes-Benz C-Class assembled in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
Presiding over today’s opening celebration were Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam, Infiniti Motor Company President Johan de Nysschen, Infiniti Americas Vice President Michael Bartsch, Infiniti Decherd Powertrain Operations and Battery Plant Vice President Gary Edwards and Erhard Schletterer, Director Engine Production Mercedes-Benz.
Around 200 new jobs have been added to date, with that number expected to increase to 400 once the plant ramps up to its full 250,000 engine annual capacity.”The opening of this new facility is the beginning of our manufacturing expansion. Infiniti needs additional capacity to fuel the expected growth which will be driven by our expanding portfolio,” said de Nysschen. At the same time, this plant is an excellent demonstration of the strong collaboration we have with Daimler AG. “It will leverage the technologies, expertise and highest level of manufacturing standards from both companies, which, in turn, benefit from the synergy and economies of scale of this joint effort.”
Construction of the ground-up $319 million, 310,000-square foot facility began in May 2012. It incorporates a number of energy efficient design features, such as a heat-reflecting white roof and natural daytime lighting through use of a skylight grid.
Infiniti had previously announced that later this year it will start local assembly of the extended wheel base versions of our new Q50 sports sedan and the QX50 crossover in China, and for the Chinese market. Next year, the company will start assembly of our Q30 premium compact car in the UK, for global markets.