Decherd, Tennessee – Infiniti has begun 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 new facility is a 2L, 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.
“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,” says Infiniti Motor Company President Johan de Nysschen.
About 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.
Construction of the $319 million, 310,000ft2 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.
Source: Infiniti