German luxury carmaker BMW said on Monday it plans to invest an extra 750 million dollars (490 million euros) through 2012 in expanding its US plant at Spartanburg, South Carolina.
The plant will grow in size by 60 percent and will produce 240,000 units a year compared to the current 160,000, BMW said in a statement. It will create another 500 jobs at the plant that currently employs 5,400 workers.
The additional 750 million dollars will bring to 4.3 billion dollars the amount invested since 1992 in the plant, where the X5 and X6 sports utility vehicles (SUV) are made and which is due also to make the smaller X3.
BMW has made no secret of its desire to increase its production capacities outside Europe to offset the impact of the strong
