Mercedes-Benz AG
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Germany
Phone: +49 7 11 17-0
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Represented by the Board of Management:
Ola Källenius, Chairman; Jörg Burzer, Mathias Geisen, Olaf Schick, Michael Schiebe, Britta Seeger, Oliver Thöne, Harald Wilhelm
Chairman of the Supervisory Board: Martin Brudermüller
Court of Registry: Stuttgart; commercial register no. 762873
VAT ID: DE 32 12 81 763
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World premieres of new GLE and GLS
March 31, 2026 – The new Mercedes-Benz GLE and GLS made their world premieres at their home plant in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Comprehensively updated, both models are now more powerful, intuitive and confident than ever – embodying the Mercedes-Benz “Welcome home.” feeling through modern design, cutting-edge technology and exceptional comfort.
The full-size GLS
We invented the automobile 140 years ago – and arrived in the United States just two years later. Since then, Tuscaloosa has become the beating heart of our SUV family. The new GLE and GLS, alongside the EQE SUV, the EQS SUV and the Mercedes-Maybach EQS SUV, are symbols of our commitment to Alabama. In the future, the localised GLC will further strengthen our U.S. footprint. And for me personally, this place isn’t just part of our company’s history as the first major plant outside Germany – it marks one of the most important chapters of my own Mercedes-Benz journey.
Ola Källenius
Chairman of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG
As the second-largest market for Mercedes-Benz and with facilities that assemble vehicles for both the local and global markets, the German automaker enjoys a strong presence in the U.S. Now, with locations across 13 states and supporting hundreds of thousands of jobs both directly and indirectly, Mercedes-Benz is continuing to invest in and expand its U.S. footprint.
That pioneering spirit of Mercedes-Benz was on full display in Tuscaloosa. The SUV world premieres were visited by the “140 Years. 140 Places.”Tour, on which three new S-Class saloons have embarked – a global drive spanning more than 50,000 kilometers across six continents. The tour is stopping at a symbolic 140 places, each reflecting a chapter of the brand’s heritage, pioneering spirit and worldwide presence. Tuscaloosa, where Mercedes-Benz SUVs are assembled for the world, represents one of those defining chapters.
140 years ago, Carl Benz changed the course of the world with the invention of the modern automobile – the Benz Patent Motorwagen. Only two years later, Gottlieb Daimler arrived in the U.S. and partnered with piano manufacturer William Steinway to found the Daimler Motor Company with its headquarters in Long Island City, New York. This move paved the way for German automotive engineering excellence to come to American soil. Local assembly of the “American Mercedes” began in 1905. This early visionary power and engineering excellence established the foundation of the enduring local footprint of Mercedes-Benz. Also, during this time, numerous motorsport successes, such as a land-speed record set by Barney Oldfield’s “Blitzen Benz” at Daytona Beach, created the high-end demand for Mercedes cars by the Hollywood elite and other wealthy Americans. This eventually led to their consistent importation by the famous Max Hoffman, who also advocated for the creation of the 300 SL Gullwing – unveiled at the 1954 International Motor Sports Show in New York City.
To officially reestablish its U.S. operations, the former Daimler AG (now Mercedes-Benz AG) created Mercedes-Benz USA in 1965. After 50 years in Montvale, N.J., MBUSA moved to Atlanta, Ga., in 2015 and, in 2018, into a new purpose-built headquarters facility dubbed “1MB” in Sandy Springs, Ga. To further consolidate its U.S. workforce, MBUSA is currently in the process of moving up to 500 roles from various locations across the country into a new, state-of-the-art R&D hub at another location near Sandy Springs.
This strategic multi-million-dollar investment in the Atlanta region will allow the company to leverage the rich engineering talent pool around institutions like Georgia Institute of Technology and create new opportunities to collaborate with the region’s thriving startup ecosystem and established tech sectors. It also firmly establishes Atlanta as Mercedes-Benz’s headquarters in North America and is part of a broader strategy for the company to collocate its corporate functions, R&D activities, and sales and marketing teams in the U.S.
For three decades, the Mercedes-Benz Factory in Tuscaloosa has been assembling vehicles with meticulous craftsmanship using premium materials, with a strong focus on safety and innovation. This is thanks to around 5,800 highly skilled team members who take pride in their work and ensure the quality that Mercedes is known for. From the pioneering M-Class in 1997 to today’s GLE and GLS, a total of five million SUVs have rolled off the line, all defining excellence in their segment.
Currently, the GLE, GLS and GLE Coupe sport utility vehicles, along with AMG performance variants and the Mercedes-Maybach GLS, are assembled at the Tuscaloosa site for all global markets. The plant also assembles the all-electric EQE SUV, EQS SUV and Mercedes-Maybach EQS SUV. In the course of the next few years, the GLC SUV will also come to the Tuscaloosa facility, further enhancing the importance of its Alabama operations within the global company.
The plant currently exports roughly 60 percent of its output, making it one of the largest exporters of automobiles from the U.S. and contributing positively to the local trade balance.
In South Carolina, around 1,700 employees assemble the Sprinter and eSprinter for the North American market. Last year, Mercedes-Benz Vans celebrated a milestone with the assembly of five million Sprinter vans globally. Assembled at the company’s facility in Charleston, S.C., the five-millionth Sprinter – an all-electric eSprinter – was handed over to FedEx, a longstanding Mercedes-Benz Vans customer. The plant in Charleston celebrates its 20th anniversary this year.
Mercedes-Benz Research & Development has locations in San Jose, Long Beach and Carlsbad, California, as well as a site in Ann Arbor, Michigan. In total, the company supports an estimate of almost 160,000 jobs across the country, offering 10,600 direct jobs, of which around 7,500 are in assembly. Additionally, there are an estimated 107,000 jobs across Mercedes-Benz’s business suppliers and service providers, and its dealer network comprises 386 valued partners, at which another 27,000 people are employed.
With retail sales of 303,200 passenger cars and 40,000 vans last year, the U.S. market plays a crucial role in the success of the Group as a whole. That’s why investments of more than $7 billion into U.S. operations by 2030 are planned, demonstrating the commitment of Mercedes-Benz to its local footprint and continued growth in the U.S. The Tuscaloosa plant will receive a significant share of these investments, amounting to $4 billion, reflecting Alabama’s strategic importance to the company’s global production network. Having become an integral part of American car culture, Mercedes-Benz is counting on the next 138 years to be as memorable as the first.
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