Automotive Fleet
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

BMW, VW Consider Increasing U.S. Production After White House Meeting

BMW and Volkswagen are considering plans to expand U.S. production following a Dec. 4 meeting with President Trump at the White House.

December 4, 2018
BMW, VW Consider Increasing U.S. Production After White House Meeting

BMW and Volkswagen said they are considering expanding U.S. production after a Dec. 4 meeting with President Trump.

Photo via Gage Skidmore/Wikimedia. Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-SA 2.0)

2 min to read


BMW and Volkswagen are considering plans to expand U.S. production following a Dec. 4 meeting with President Trump at the White House.

Ad Loading...

Volkswagen Group's CEO Herbert Diess told reporters the company is now in talks with Ford Motor Co. to build its cars at Ford's U.S. assembly plants. VW and Ford have been in discussions since signing a memorandum of understanding on June 19 about how they could collaborate. They have suggested they could jointly develop a line of commercial vehicles, possibly a cargo van.

Ad Loading...

"The president has a point in trying to convince us to invest more into America, and we are prepared to invest more," Diess told USA Today following the meeting with Trump.

Volkswagen is also considering building a second U.S. assembly plant in addition to its existing plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

BMW also announced it will expand its manufacturing footprint at its assembly plant in Spartanburg, S.C., where it builds its X-line of utility vehicles. From 2018 to 2021, BMW will invest $600 million in plant infrastructure for future generations of its expanding line of SUVs. BMW will offer the 2019 X7 as its first three-row SUV.

The plant improvements will include 1,000 additional jobs, which will bring the total at the plant to 11,000.

BMW hasn't committed to building a second U.S. plant to build its engines, despite Trump's Nov. 29 tweet announcing "a major new plant" from the automaker. A new plant will open in Mexico during the summer of 2019.

Ad Loading...

"With our plant in Spartanburg and the new plant in Mexico coming on stream in summer 2019, we will increase our production in North America," according to a company statement. "We will therefore in future have the scale where a step like this may make business sense. As of today, no decision has been taken on this topic."

More Vehicle Research

Henrik Holland headshot on a leadership update
Vehicle Researchby News/Media ReleaseSeptember 10, 2026

EV Realty Names Henrik Holland President as Charging Platform Expands

The former Prologis Mobility and Shell executive will help expand EV Realty’s truck charging business and move its power-first infrastructure model into autonomous vehicle depots and other fleet sectors.

Read More →
A Mercedes-Benz GLC drives on a road
Vehicle Researchby News/Media ReleaseSeptember 10, 2026

Mercedes-Benz Introduces Electric GLC With Up to 350 Miles of Range

The GLC 400 4MATIC Electric features an 800-volt architecture, 330-kW DC fast charging and a 94-kWh battery, along with Mercedes-Benz's new MB.OS operating system.

Read More →
oung professionals collaborate around laptops in an office, illustrating efforts to introduce the next generation to careers in fleet management.
Vehicle Researchby Faith HowellSeptember 8, 2026

Fleet Has a Talent Pipeline Problem, not a Talent Problem

Where will the next generation of fleet leaders come from, and what does the industry need to do differently to find them?

Read More →
Ad Loading...
A beige, blue, and red Fleet Hacks graphic with headshots on the bottom row in rounded shape of Lori Olson, Jen VrMeer, and Oleg Cytowicz.
Vehicle Researchby Faith HowellSeptember 4, 2026

Fleet Hacks: What Are You Still Doing Manually?

From daily recaps to repeatable workflows, fleet professionals share how AI can cut through busywork while keeping human judgment at the center.

Read More →
A graphic with red and clue text and a transparent background with music notes.
Vehicle Researchby Faith HowellSeptember 3, 2026

How One Fleet Manager Put a New Spin on Safety Training

Joe Lewis turned a pre-trip inspection lesson into an AI-assisted song, then four safety albums. The experiment also revealed why human oversight matters when AI enters driver training.

Read More →
2027 Ram ProMaster City
Vehicle Researchby StaffAugust 31, 2026

2027 Ram ProMaster City Starts Under $40K

Ram is returning to the smaller commercial van market with a new ProMaster City aimed at delivery, service, trade, and passenger applications. Starting at $39,995 with destination, the 2027 van offers up to 2,000 pounds of towing capacity, more than 2,000 pounds of payload, and multiple cargo and passenger configurations.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
An AF news recap blue and white thumbnail
Vehicle Researchby Faith HowellAugust 28, 2026

New Tariff Threats & a Leadership Change at Wheels | AF News Recap

A new tariff threat is creating more uncertainty for fleet ordering, Wheels has named a new president, and we’re asking whether certification is really worth the investment.

Read More →
A certification symbol with text over it
Vehicle Researchby Faith HowellAugust 28, 2026

Certification: What’s in It for the Fleet Manager?

From smarter fleet decisions to stronger career credibility, certification can give fleet managers knowledge they may never gain inside a single operation.

Read More →
Graphic for the new Wheels president with Matthew Cole's headshot on the left
Vehicle Researchby News/Media ReleaseAugust 27, 2026

Wheels Names Matthew Cole President

Cole brings more than 30 years of automotive and technology experience to the fleet management company, including leadership roles at Aptiv, Visteon and Johnson Controls.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
An AF news recap thumbnail
Vehicle Researchby Faith HowellAugust 22, 2026

AI is changing what fleet managers can build & 849,000 vehicles recalled | AF News Recap

Fleet managers are learning how to build their own AI-powered tools, Stellantis is recalling nearly 849,000 vehicles, and this year’s Fleet Manager of the Year finalists have been revealed. Additionally, we’re examining how to identify repairs that warrant a second look. Here’s what you need to know this week.

Read More →