Isuzu announced this morning it will open a 1 million sq.-ft. production plant in Greenville County, S.C., where it will build electric and internal combustion trucks.

The facility will be able to produce both electric and internal combustion engine vehicles on an assembly line without conveyors or pits, a first for Isuzu Group. Inspections will be automated to eliminate operational errors, ensure the traceability of parts, and introduce image inspections and other methods to prevent the leakage of defective products, Isuzu announced in a release.

“The establishment of an Isuzu-owned and operated production base in the U.S. reflects both Isuzu’s commitment to, and success in, the North American market,” said Noboru Murakami, president of Isuzu North America Corporation. “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.”

Isuzu will consolidate all production-related operations at the new plant, which sits on 200 acres, providing sufficient space to store completed vehicles.

The plant is strategically located on the region’s I-85 corridor connecting Greenville, S.C., to Atlanta, Ga., and Charlotte, N.C.

The company is investing about US$280 million into the facility and will be able to produce 50,000 units by 2030, Isuzu said, including Isuzu N-Series gas, N-Series electric, and F-Series diesel trucks. Assembly will begin there in 2027 and expand in 2028, Isuzu announced.

Isuzu sold 44,000 trucks into the North American market last year, its highest ever total.