And Amazon is the world?s largest Sprinter customer Big news for anyone coveting the camper van lifestyle: The Mercedes-Benz Sprinter will now be made in the U.S. The Sprinter van has grown increasingly popular stateside as a base for camper van conversions, used by DIYers and custom outfitters alike. Love campers and trailers" Come join our community group.
Since 2006, Sprinters for U.S. customers were assembled in a South Carolina plant from components shipped from Europe. This process was cumbersome and ?a huge burden? said Bernie Glaser, vice president of Mercedes-Benz Vans USA. ?The logistics process is a nightmare.? But it was better than paying a 25 percent tariff on imports?also called the chicken tax?imposed on automakers that build vehicles overseas for the U.S. market.
To compete with American companies building more affordable vans like the Ford Transit, Mercedes-Benz broke ground in 2016 on a new $500 million addition to its commercial van factory in South Carolina. The state-of-the-art facility will employ a total of 1,300 people by 2020, up from 900 currently. According to estimates, suppliers will create an additional 600 new jobs in and around North Charleston.

Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz Vans opens a new Sprinter plant in North Charleston, South Carolina.

Construction is finished and the plant is up and running, just in time to build the 2019 Sprinter van. The third generation Sprinter will offer new connectivity s...