Bosch pauses expansion plans at South Carolina plant due to electric vehicle market downturn

The Robert Bosch plant in Dorchester County has paused its planned 75,000-square-foot expansion due to a downturn in the electric vehicle market. The expansion was intended to support electric motor production for companies like Rivian, but sales have not met expectations. Bosch, the largest automotive parts supplier globally, had announced a $260 million investment and plans to hire 350 workers. However, the company now expects to achieve these goals through overall investment at the Charleston site, not just from the electric motor expansion. Despite layoffs in Bosch's overseas automotive division, the Dorchester County site will not be affected. The plant currently employs about 1,800 people and continues to produce electric motors on a smaller scale, alongside other automotive components.