Ebonisa ubunzulu bayo malunga nekamva lombane, iMercedes-Benz iceba ukutyala imali eyi-1 yeebhiliyoni zeerandi eAlabama ukuvelisa izithuthi zombane.

Olu tyalo-mali luza kusetyenziswa ekukhuliseni isityalo esikhoyo sophawu lwexabiso eliphezulu lwaseJamani kufutshane neTuscaloosa kunye nokwakha umzi-mveliso omtsha webhetri ongama-1 million square-foot.

Nangona ukuthengiswa kweemoto zombane bekungacocekanga ngokubanzi, iMercedes ibukele njengoko iTesla iphuma iye yaba ngumdlali obalaseleyo kwicandelo le-super-premium nge-mobile yayo ye-model S sedan kunye ne-Model X crossover. Ngoku iTesla isongela inxalenye esezantsi, esezantsi yemarike yodidi oluphezulu nge-model 3 sedan yayo enexabiso eliphantsi.

Le nkampani ilandela icebo elithi “nantoni na enokwenziwa yiTesla, singayenza ngcono”, utshilo umhlalutyi waseSanford Bernstein uMax Warburton kwinqaku lakhe lakutshanje kubatyali-mali. “IMercedes iqinisekile ukuba inokukwazi ukulinganisa iindleko zebhetri yeTesla, yoyise iindleko zayo zokuvelisa kunye nokuthenga, yonyuse imveliso ngokukhawuleza kwaye ibe nomgangatho ongcono. Ikwaqinisekile ukuba iimoto zayo ziya kuqhuba ngcono.”

Inyathelo leMercedes likwafika njengoko abenzi beemoto abakhulu baseJamani, kuquka iVolkswagen kunye neBMW, betshintsha ngokukhawuleza besuka kwiinjini zedizili ngenxa yemithetho eqinileyo yokukhupha ukungcola kwihlabathi liphela.

IMercedes ithe ilindele ukongeza imisebenzi emitsha engama-600 kummandla waseTuscaloosa ngotyalo-mali olutsha. Iza kwandisa ukwandiswa kwesakhiwo esixabisa i-$1.3 yeebhiliyoni esabhengezwa ngo-2015 ukuze kongezwe ivenkile entsha yokwenza imizimba yeemoto kunye nokuphucula iinkqubo zezothutho kunye neenkqubo zekhompyutha.

“Siyayikhulisa kakhulu imveliso yethu apha e-Alabama, ngelixa sithumela umyalezo ocacileyo kubathengi bethu kulo lonke elaseMelika nakwihlabathi liphela: IMercedes-Benz iya kuqhubeka nokuba yinxalenye ephambili yophuhliso kunye nemveliso yezithuthi zombane,” utshilo uMarkus Schäfer, umphathi weMercedes, kwingxelo yakhe.

Izicwangciso ezintsha zenkampani ziquka ukuveliswa kweemoto zombane zeSUV eAlabama phantsi kwegama leMercedes EQ.

IMercedes ixele kwingxelo yayo ukuba le mveliso yebhetri eyi-1 million square feet iza kuba kufutshane nesityalo saseTuscaloosa. Iza kuba yinkqubo yesihlanu yeDaimler kwihlabathi liphela enokukwazi ukuvelisa iibhetri.

IMercedes ithe iceba ukuqala ukwakhiwa ngo-2018 kwaye iqalise ukuvelisa “ekuqaleni kweminyaka elishumi ezayo.” Le ntshukumo ihambelana ngqo nesicwangciso sikaDaimler sokubonelela ngezithuthi ezingaphezu kwama-50 ezinohlobo oluthile lwe-hybrid okanye umbane ngo-2022.

Esi sibhengezo sasinxulumene nombhiyozo weminyaka engama-20 kwisityalo saseTuscaloosa, esavulwa ngo-1997. Lo mzi-mveliso okwangoku uqesha abasebenzi abangaphezu kwama-3,700 kwaye wenza izithuthi ezingaphezu kwama-310,000 ngonyaka.

Lo mzi-mveliso wenza ii-GLE, GLS kunye nee-GLE Coupe SUV ezithengiswa eMelika nakwihlabathi liphela kwaye wenza i-C-class sedan ethengiswa eMntla Melika.

Nangona amaxabiso epetroli aphantsi kunye nesabelo semarike saseMelika se-0.5% kuphela ukuza kuthi ga ngoku kulo nyaka kwiimoto zombane, utyalo-mali kwicandelo luhamba ngokukhawuleza ngenxa yezizathu zomthetho kunye nezobuchwepheshe.

Umhlalutyi waseSanford Bernstein uMark Newman uqikelele ukuba ukwehla kwamaxabiso ebhetri kuya kwenza iimoto zombane zibe nexabiso elifanayo nelezithuthi zegesi ngo-2021, "okungaphambi kwexesha kunokuba uninzi lulindele."

Nangona ulawulo lukaTrump lucinga ngokunciphisa imigangatho yoqoqosho lwepetroli, abenzi beemoto baqhubeka nezicwangciso zeemoto zombane kuba abalawuli kwezinye iimarike bazama ukunciphisa ukukhutshwa komoya ongcolileyo.

Eyona iphambili kuzo yiTshayina, eyona marike inkulu yeemoto kwihlabathi liphela. UXin Guobin, usekela-mphathiswa wezoshishino kunye netekhnoloji yolwazi eTshayina, kutshanje ubhengeze ukuvalwa kokwenziwa nokuthengiswa kwezithuthi zegesi eTshayina kodwa akanikanga nkcukacha ngexesha.