Berkeley County, South Carolina has been chosen as the site of Volvo Cars‘ new $500 million high tech manufacturing facility.

Boasting an annual projected output of 100,000 cars, the factory, near Charleston, will produce vehicles that will sell in the United States and be exported to other countries.

Volvo Cars estimates that the plant will employ up to 4,000 people long term.

Construction will begin in early autumn 2015, with the first vehicles expected to roll off the assembly line in 2018.

image courtesy of Volvo