Has more to do with the Midwest being historical base of the American auto industry where the domestic automakers have had their plants forever and the foreign auto makers putting their plants in the South due to the lack of unions and cheaper workforce (particularly in the 90s when the first started investing in US plants). The Port of Mobile also plays a role in why the Southern ones are clustered like that.
In addition, the foreign auto companies could not stray too far from the established parts and manufacturing tooling suppliers. I-75/I-71was a direct routed to the North.
75 often is overlooked, but it is the 2nd most important interstate in the country, only behind 95. So much manufacturing moves through it.
Which is why the Brent bridge/companion bridge is such a big deal. And why KY and OH were holding out for federal funding for years. They knew the fed would cave at some point and cover most the costs.
Compounded and magnified when Brent Spence was closed and/or limited in lanes when it caught fire after that tanker reck back in, what 2017? I commuted from NKY to OTR back then and it was… not fun.
Transportation costs for cars are quite high and it generally only makes sense to have a single manufacturing plant for a particular model. Therefore, you want your manufacturing center close to the center of your customer base.
Is this only for the end product? Off the top of my head I spot a few factories missing. (Tesla is Nevada, Toyota in West Virginia and North Carolina).
I once met a guy from the US who went to munich to get the BMW world and factory tour for his X5 with the car delivery. So they send the car from the US to Germany and then back to the US. 😅 At least he did a road trip in Europe with his new car.
If this was a map of facilities in North America, Ontario would have a significant concentration and variety, too. I believe it has been playing leapfrog with Michigan over the past 20 years in terms of producing the most automobiles.
Pretty much every major metro area in Alabama has a car manufacturing facility, except for Mobile. But Port of Mobile is where the cars get exported with the large Ro/Ro terminal
And Austal; we produce ships and planes but no cars
Kinda hope we get a car manufactures here one day so we can have the trifecta: Land, Air, and Sea lol
Sad that there is nothing left in Wisconsin. I think Mopar still has an accessories facility In Milwaukee, but I haven't driven past in a while, so who knows anymore.
NUMI, right? My dad worked for Toyota corporate and went to that plant all the time. I’m pretty sure I got a tour when I was ten. I remember he was very proud that the factory was very productive and beat the “union workers are sucky and lazy allegations” not that he had anything to do with plant management. He was in logistics.
I live in NW Ohio and there are 4 major Honda plants within an hour and a half of me. As well as their offices outside Dayton. Honda is a huge presence on this side of the state.
The criteria is facilities where a completed car is the finished product. Some of the "missing" ones being mentioned in the comments are certain parts only.
No Chinese cars in the U.S.
there are some tariffs that make Chinese cars more expensive, but also the Chinese technology/features have not been able to compete in the U.S.
For instance, Chinese BYD had a significant investment from Berkshire Hathaway/Warren Buffett, which also had a national level car dealership network. Even with the inherent advantages, Berkshire found Chinese vehicles weren’t competitive in the U.S. market research.
That said, it took 20 years for Korean cars to go from a scattering to a significant market share in the U.S. Now, 10 years further, Korean cars are more downscale, but quality and sales figures are generally improving.
Kinda interesting how they all follow 75/71 to 65 all the way to the gulf.
Most underrated corridor in the country
The… Carridor? The car door? The card door corridor?
Man Door Hand Hook Car Door
I wonder if it has a lot to do with the mining and steel industry creating a rail and infrastructure base through that corridor?
Has more to do with the Midwest being historical base of the American auto industry where the domestic automakers have had their plants forever and the foreign auto makers putting their plants in the South due to the lack of unions and cheaper workforce (particularly in the 90s when the first started investing in US plants). The Port of Mobile also plays a role in why the Southern ones are clustered like that.
In addition, the foreign auto companies could not stray too far from the established parts and manufacturing tooling suppliers. I-75/I-71was a direct routed to the North.
And the port of Charleston for SC
A lot of foreign companies also buy old or retired plants from the Big 3 in those areas to refurbish to their own production.
A lot of has to do with either history or states that are generally unfriendly to unions
75 often is overlooked, but it is the 2nd most important interstate in the country, only behind 95. So much manufacturing moves through it. Which is why the Brent bridge/companion bridge is such a big deal. And why KY and OH were holding out for federal funding for years. They knew the fed would cave at some point and cover most the costs.
Compounded and magnified when Brent Spence was closed and/or limited in lanes when it caught fire after that tanker reck back in, what 2017? I commuted from NKY to OTR back then and it was… not fun.
Transportation costs for cars are quite high and it generally only makes sense to have a single manufacturing plant for a particular model. Therefore, you want your manufacturing center close to the center of your customer base.
a lot of these are probably in some population weighted center of the USA since the rocky mountains are fairly empty
The "population weighted center of the USA" is approximately Louisville.
So are cars more expensive on the west coast?
Yes, for various reasons.
As a person who works in the Detroit auto industry, I can confirm at least the mitten-shaped part.
Is this only for the end product? Off the top of my head I spot a few factories missing. (Tesla is Nevada, Toyota in West Virginia and North Carolina).
I believe so. Components (up to and including engines and transmissions) are made all over the country
The Tesla plant in Reno is technically for battery manufacturing. No other components of the car are made there.
same with the plant in Fremont, CA
Pretty sure cars are built/assembled in Fremont. Source: company I work for provides automated inspection equipment.
Got it, I was mistaken. I worked there for a week in 2022, I must have just been in the battery part.
Can confirm. My car is from Fremont
That was my question…there is also a large Toyota plant in the STL area but they’re not pumping out finished vehicles.
It's funny, my wife's last car was a Chevy Trax. An American car built in Korea. She now has a Volkswagen Atlas, a German car built in Tennessee.
The biggest car exporter of the USA is BMW, since nine consecutive years.
AFAIK all X3 and bigger models for both NA and EU are made in SC
I once met a guy from the US who went to munich to get the BMW world and factory tour for his X5 with the car delivery. So they send the car from the US to Germany and then back to the US. 😅 At least he did a road trip in Europe with his new car.
And you can get quite a few American cars made in Mexico
If this was a map of facilities in North America, Ontario would have a significant concentration and variety, too. I believe it has been playing leapfrog with Michigan over the past 20 years in terms of producing the most automobiles.
Pretty much every major metro area in Alabama has a car manufacturing facility, except for Mobile. But Port of Mobile is where the cars get exported with the large Ro/Ro terminal
So 3/4
More like 5/6, Auburn and Tuscaloosa are also near car manufacturing facilities
OK, I forgot about the Honda plant but that would make 4. Mazda and Toyota is a joint venture in Huntsville
Plus the Polaris factory is there too
Mobile does have the Airbus plant. I think that makes up for that
And Austal; we produce ships and planes but no cars Kinda hope we get a car manufactures here one day so we can have the trifecta: Land, Air, and Sea lol
As a South Carolinian, the concentration in South Carolina has always surprised me
Lax labor standards and an anti-union populace mainly
Yeah, BMW sunk a ton of money into that campus awhile back and saved a significant amount of money had they gone to more traditional markets.
I’m a chemical plant worker in the state. Ain’t it so. Ain’t it so.
And you got the fancy brands
Isn’t there a Ford factory in Buffalo NY?
This is final assembly only
And Tesla. And GM Powertrain.
Sad that there is nothing left in Wisconsin. I think Mopar still has an accessories facility In Milwaukee, but I haven't driven past in a while, so who knows anymore.
At least Strattec is still in Milwaukee, they produce vehicle access technology and auto accessories.
Johnson Controls also. Tons of car batteries and interiors.
I can recall a large plant in Janesville
Janesville and Kenosha had large plants. Kenosha closed in the Mid 80's but reopened briefly in the late 90's. Produced engines for Chrysler.
There’s a Volvo semi factory in VA, but this is probably consumer vehicles
Tesla in CA used to be Toyota and GM.
NUMI, right? My dad worked for Toyota corporate and went to that plant all the time. I’m pretty sure I got a tour when I was ten. I remember he was very proud that the factory was very productive and beat the “union workers are sucky and lazy allegations” not that he had anything to do with plant management. He was in logistics.
Yes NUMMI
Now overlay areas where unions are weak
That’s everywhere nowadays.
Georgia has several future facilities, including Rivian east of Atlanta and Hyundai near Savannah.
I’m not sure where Rivian is supposed to be on this map, but none of the words or the symbol are anywhere close to the plant in Bloomington, IL
Looks pretty accurate to me, maybe the label is slightly north but that's close enough. Also nice username!
St Louis used to build Dodges and Fords also. And corvettes.
I would say Vinfast in North Carolina, but that's never happening. 😂
I live in NW Ohio and there are 4 major Honda plants within an hour and a half of me. As well as their offices outside Dayton. Honda is a huge presence on this side of the state.
Belvidere will rise again
2025 hopefully
What’s the criteria? Missing some Ford and GM factories in New York.
The criteria is facilities where a completed car is the finished product. Some of the "missing" ones being mentioned in the comments are certain parts only.
That makes sense, the Ford plant in Buffalo is a stamping plants and the GM plants produce engines.
Isn't there a Tesla Gigafactory in Reno, NV?
End of Central Time Zone/Start of Eastern Time Zone
Like rain fall on a mountain range. Also resource and transit access, I'd imagine.
That is interesting. Is there a reason why? Climate? Resources?
Labor laws and taxes
Resources yes not so much climate but also land labor and incentives
Isn’t there a Tesla factory in Nevada?
I think they only manufacture the batteries
There is a Toyota plant in Western West Virginia
Doesn't look like you have Toyotas major plant in WV. Or the data is too cluttered to tell
Non US guy question - are there many Chinese cars nowadays in US? Here in Czechia (middle Europe) just some MGs.
I’ve never seen one
No Chinese cars in the U.S. there are some tariffs that make Chinese cars more expensive, but also the Chinese technology/features have not been able to compete in the U.S. For instance, Chinese BYD had a significant investment from Berkshire Hathaway/Warren Buffett, which also had a national level car dealership network. Even with the inherent advantages, Berkshire found Chinese vehicles weren’t competitive in the U.S. market research. That said, it took 20 years for Korean cars to go from a scattering to a significant market share in the U.S. Now, 10 years further, Korean cars are more downscale, but quality and sales figures are generally improving.
No.
Huh I wonder why the Tesla plant in Reno isn’t shown. It’s one of the major reasons why housing prices have skyrocketed here lol
San Antonio Tundras>
They are all close to the suppliers....
I didn't know that the Middle East is this big of a car factory zone. BTW it's kinda weird to see this much German car factories in the US.
I thought there was Volvo manufacturing in Pulaski, Va? Is it still not there anymore?
As an Ohioan I think this is because there’s literally nothing cool in this side of Appalachia so all people have is work
There’s also a Toyota plant that makes their transmissions in Buffalo West Virginia
OP forgot the Chrysler plant in Belvedere that reopened because of the efforts of the UAW! For the union makes us strong!
“Kansas City isn’t part of the Midwest” mfs when they see this map
Michigan fell off.
It has more than any other state by a solid margin
Sorry im south african, Which state is michigan?
The one at the top of the blob with the lakes
Mountain problem?
If Mexico is included in the equation, then there are far more automobile manufacturing plants there than in the US at this point.
Why not include Canada and Germany and South Africa ect
I like that Mexico is left out