Skip to content

Tennessee is an Auto State

252.1K Jobs

Powered by Tennessee’s Auto Industry

Industry Impact

Every Job Tells a Story

Tennessee’s auto industry supports an estimated 252,075 jobs — from assembly lines to engineering labs, supply chain logistics to dealership floors.

306.8K

New Vehicles Sold

$78,539

Average labor income per auto job

$19.80B

Annual Labor Income

6%

Share of Tennessee Jobs Supported

7%

of Economy

$36.02B

State GDP

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Bureau of Economic Analysis, and IHS Markit / S&P Global Mobility — Tennessee, 2024.

Automaker Facilities

Built in Tennessee

Facility Organization City State Type
Nissan Smyrna Vehicle Assembly Plant Nissan Smyrna Tennessee Assembly
Spring Hill Assembly, Stamping and Global Propulsion Systems General Motors Company Spring Hill Tennessee Assembly
Volkswagen Chattanooga Assembly Plant Volkswagen Group Chattanooga Tennessee Assembly
LG Chem (Under Construction) LG Clarksville Tennessee Parts Manufacturing
Magna Operations Magna Clinton Tennessee Parts Manufacturing
Magna Operations Magna Spring Hill Tennessee Parts Manufacturing
Nissan Decherd Powertrain Plant Nissan Decherd Tennessee Parts Manufacturing
TMMTN Toyota Jackson Tennessee Parts Manufacturing
Ultium Cells (Under Construction) LG Spring Hill Tennessee Parts Manufacturing
North American Engineering and Planning Center Volkswagen Group Chattanooga Tennessee R&D / Engineering
Chattanooga Learning Center Volkswagen Group Chattanooga Tennessee Offices & Training Centers
Ford Credit Nashville Business Center Ford Motor Company Franklin Tennessee Offices & Training Centers
Memphis Regional Office Ford Motor Company Cordova Tennessee Offices & Training Centers
Nissan North America Corporate Headquarters Nissan Franklin Tennessee Offices & Training Centers
American Honda Motor Co., Inc. Parts Center Honda Loudon Tennessee Logistics
Customer Care & Aftersales -- ACDelco, Parts Distribution Center -- Memphis General Motors Company Memphis Tennessee Logistics
Memphis High Velocity Center Ford Motor Company Memphis Tennessee Logistics
South East Regional Distribution Center Tennessee (SERDC) Volkswagen Group Lenoir City Tennessee Logistics
Explore Nationwide Facilities
Source: Alliance for Automotive Innovation — Member Facility Directory, Tennessee, 2024.

Tax Revenue Generation

$2.75B

in state tax revenue generated by the automotive industry’s economic activity.

12%

of total state tax revenue

$1.76B

Federal income taxes

$1.73B

Vehicle use tax / licenses / fees

$849.54M

New vehicle sales taxes

$205.01M

Parts & services sales tax

$252.67M

Corporate profits taxes

$496.99M

Used vehicle sales taxes

Source: Multi-industry contribution analysis of the economic impact of automotive manufacturing, selling, repairing, renting, and additional maintenance modeled using IMPLAN economic analysis data software, 2023 data year.

Vehicles Sold

306.8K

2024 Vehicle Sales

$12.14B

The average age of Tennessee vehicles is 13.4 years

Compared to the national average of 12.2 years

Source: Compiled by Alliance for Automotive Innovation with data provided by S&P Global Mobility, sales figures represent new vehicle registrations between January 1, 2024 - December 31, 2024; average age compiled by Alliance for Automotive Innovation with data provided by S&P Global Mobility, vehicles in operation as of December 31, 2024; New vehicle sales revenue derived from NADA Data.

New vehicle purchases and registrations

306.8K

new vehicles sold across Tennessee in 2024

Purchases ByBody Style

  • 177.6K UVs (57.90%)
  • 63.4K Pickups (20.68%)
  • 53.3K Cars (17.38%)
  • 12.4K Vans/Minivans (4.05%)

Purchases ByPowertrain

  • 291.5K ICE / Hybrid (95.01%)
  • 13.2K Electric (4.31%)
  • 2.1K Plug-in Hybrid (0.68%)

Source: Registration figures compiled by Alliance for Automotive Innovation with data provided by S&P Global Mobility as of December 31, 2024; new purchase figures compiled by Alliance for Automotive Innovation with data provided by S&P Global Mobility representing new vehicle registrations between January 1, 2024 – December 31, 2024.

Activity at Ports

Tennessee’s Auto Trade Footprint

Tennessee ports moved $316.81M in automotive trade in 2024 alone, led by exports to South Africa. Past-decade totals reach $3.30B.

2024 Imports

2024 Exports

$309.39M

Vehicles & parts entering TN ports

$7.42M

Vehicles & parts shipped from TN ports

Past Decade Totals

$3.26B

Vehicles & parts entering TN ports

$41.47M

Vehicles & parts shipped from TN ports

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. International Trade Statistics — Tennessee ports of entry, 2024.

Fueling

Tennessee’s Fueling Network

Gasoline still anchors the network statewide, with 958 public EV charging stations across Tennessee.

Gasoline Stations

4,536

EV Level 2 Charging Ports

1,642

EV DC Fast Charging Ports

746

Source: U.S. Department of Energy, Alternative Fuels Data Center — Tennessee, 2024.

Consumers

67% of Tennessee households own their homes, and 76% of workers drive alone to work.

Median Household Income

$67.6K

Owner Occupied Housing

67%

Rental Occupied Housing

33%

Commutingto Work

  • Drove Alone to Work (76%)
  • Worked from Home (13%)
  • Carpooled (8%)
  • Other (3%)
  • Public Transit (1%)

HousingType

  • Single-Family (68%)
  • Mobile / RV / Boat (8%)
  • 20+ Unit Buildings (6%)
  • 2-4 Units (6%)
  • 1-Unit (Attached) (4%)
  • 5-9 Units (4%)
  • 10-19 Units (4%)

Source: Figures compiled by Alliance for Automotive Innovation with data provided U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey 2023.

Employment

Jobs Across the State

Headquarters, assembly plants, R&D centers, and supplier operations across the state — led by Tennessee’s largest automotive employers.

Source: Alliance for Automotive Innovation — Member Facility Directory, Tennessee, 2024.

  • 7,400

    Employees

    Nissan

    Nissan Smyrna Vehicle Assembly Plant

  • 3,808

    Employees

    General Motors Company

    Spring Hill Assembly, Stamping and Global Propulsion Systems

  • 3,800

    Employees

    Volkswagen Group

    Volkswagen Chattanooga Assembly Plant

  • 2,400

    Employees

    Nissan

    Nissan Decherd Powertrain Plant

Stay Informed

Get the latest policy updates and industry insights delivered to your inbox.