Alabama’s location in the center of the ‚auto alley‘ was key to the decision, experts say.
With the announcement of Toyota and Mazda planning to build a new final assembly plant in Huntsville, the state of Alabama is flexing its muscle and influence in the U. S. auto industry.
The plant, which will employ 4,000 workers and crank out up to 300,000 vehicles annually, is scheduled to open in 2021. Once that happens, Alabama could become the fourth biggest state in the U. S. when it comes to manufacturing new vehicles. It’s currently tied for fifth, with Tennessee, in annual auto production, according to the Center for Automotive Research, which tracks vehicle manufacturing in the U. S.
„With this announcement, our world changes overnight,“ said Tommy Battle, the mayor of Huntsville. „It vaults Alabama to the top as an industry leader in producing the next generation of cars that will power our nation.“
That may be a bit of an exaggeration.
Data from the Center for Automotive Research shows Michigan built 19 percent of the vehicles manufactured in the U.
