Daimler to build Sprinter Vans in U.S.

Daimler AG will launch production of Mercedes-Benz Sprinter vans in North America, Reuters reported.

“We can cover the growing demand for large vans in the North American market economically only if we produce the vehicles locally in the NAFTA region,” said Volker Mornhinweg, head of Mercedes-Benz vans. “That’s why we have decided to produce the next generation of the Sprinter in North America.”

But where the vans will be made is an open question; the company has plants in Mexico, the United States and Canada, all NAFTA countries.

Most Sprinters destined for the U.S. market have been produced in kit form at German plants in Duesseldorf and Ludwigsfelde, and then shipped to be reassembled in Charleston, South Carolina.

The United States is the Sprinter’s second-largest sales market after Germany. About 23,000 Sprinter vans were delivered to U.S. customers in 2013.