(Reuters) – Mercedes-Benz Vans will build its first electric-only vans plant in Jawor, Poland, pending approval of conditions including the sign-off of subsidies for its investment in the country, the company said on Monday.
The van maker, a division of Mercedes-Benz, has signed a declaration of intent with the Polish government and other partners to add the van factory to its Jawor site where it makes combustion engines and batteries for Mercedes-Benz Cars.
The plant will be the fourth in Mercedes-Benz´s European van production network, which it is reorganising towards producing only fully-electric vans built on the VAN.EA platform.
A possible expansion of the plant through a joint venture with U.S. electric van maker Rivian would no longer take place because the U.S. firm had reprioritised its planned projects, the statement said, confirming a statement by Rivian.
The companies had said in September they were planning a joint venture to produce electric vans in a factory in Poland, Hungary or Romania within the next few years, but Rivian said on Monday it would focus on its consumer business and existing commercial business.
(Reporting by Tristan Chabba in Gdansk, Victoria Waldersee in Berlin, editing by Rachel More)
