Alabama’s electric vehicle technology sparked a visit from Governor Kay Ivey Thursday when she joined officials celebrating the unveiling of Dura Automotive Systems’ new 200,000-square-foot state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Muscle Shoals. The company will manufacture lightweight aluminum electric vehicle (EV) battery enclosures for the Mercedes-Benz electric battery assembly plant in Bibb County.
The company is expected to employ more than 270 full-time workers at peak production, with an estimated investment of $75 million.
According to Tech Briefs, EV battery enclosures protect the battery cells from harsh external conditions, temperature and pressure changes, and exposure to water, dust, and debris.
“It has been 25 years since Mercedes-Benz helped launch our automotive industry, and in that time, Alabama has grown to become a national leader in vehicle exports,” said Gov. Ivey. “I’m incredibly excited to welcome Dura Automotive Systems to Alabama’s booming automotive industry, and I look forward to seeing this company continue to grow in our great state.”
The Alabama facility is Dura’s recent addition to the company’s first lightweight structures investment in North America. The site is designed to support the rapid production of luxury electric vehicles planned throughout the next decade.
“This milestone event celebrates our continued partnership with customers to accelerate the transition to electrified, high-performance vehicles,” said Dura CEO Carl Beckwith. “On behalf of Dura and our investors, I extend appreciation to our employees, Mercedes-Benz, and the many individuals in the government and supply base that worked above and beyond to make this vision a reality. Your accomplishment adds yet another steppingstone along the path toward a zero-emission future.”
The high-tech manufacturing processes will utilize advanced robotics and proprietary forming and joining technologies to create lightweight structures used for EV battery systems.
The Muscle Shoals factory boasts significant safety, efficiency, and environmentally clean manufacturing processes, utilizing more than 60 robots, trained and conducted by technical experts; more than 500 light curtains, lasers, and proximity switches that are activated to ensure safety; extensive motion-activated LED lighting throughout the building to minimize energy consumption; and advanced water treatment systems fed by reverse osmosis to reduce water consumption and protect the clean water supply.
“I am thrilled with the teamwork employed to build this impressive new facility and even more excited about the career opportunities it creates,” said Paul Underwood, Dura’s Muscle Shoals plant manager. “This was a truly collaborative effort with local and global technology experts working hand-in-hand to bring to life an amazing site that will be the foundation for additional job creation in our community.”
Planning and construction of the new facility were completed in just eight months, and Dura’s new Alabama facility will become operational as Mercedes begins building two luxury EV sport utilities at its 6 million-square-foot assembly plant in Tuscaloosa County this year.
“The opening of Dura’s highly advanced EV battery enclosure manufacturing facility in Muscle Shoals reflects the expanding capabilities of the automotive supply chain for electric vehicle production in Alabama,” said Greg Canfield, secretary of the Alabama Department of Commerce. “Our auto sector is fully focused on what the future holds for the industry and will continue to evolve to meet all challenges.”
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