[2][3][4] The Nissan Smyrna Assembly Plant was announced on October 31, 1980, for the production of Datsun pickup trucks.

[5] The company had also considered two locations in Georgia, but ultimately chose the Tennessee site due to its central location within the U.S. automotive market and the ability to transport parts to the site at a lower cost.

[12] On May 26, 2010, work began on a battery manufacturing plant onsite for electric vehicles, primarily the Nissan Leaf.

[15] Nissan decided to sell its battery plant to GSR Capital in July 2017.

[16] However, this sale did not actually happen and after three delays was canceled in July 2018 as GSR Capital did not pay on time.