Mercedes-Benz has just announced that the German automaker will invest more than $2 billion into its Tuscaloosa, Alabama manufacturing facility. The cash is slated to go toward production of current the current M-Class, though funds will also go toward producing the next-generation GL-Class and C-Class at the factory. The funds will also be used to expand the overall capacity of the plant. The announcement came at a Job 1 celebration to mark the creation of the first production 2012 M-Class. Dieter Zetsche, head of Mercedes-Benz cars, said that the Tuscaloosa plant continues to serve as the blueprint for the automaker’s facilities outside of Germany. @Funk Flex

Shipping goods from China to the U.S. is big business. And when we say big, we’re talking 1,300-foot-long ships that weigh 170,974 tons. The cargo ships in question can carry 11,000 20-foot shipping containers at a breakneck speed of 31 knots. @Funk Flex

“Did you know that it was never supposed to be called a Charger?” The man posing the question is Ralph Gilles, President and CEO of Chrysler’s SRT group. According to Gilles, the modern Charger was styled to have been branded differently, but the suits wanted a sporty full-size four-door. The design team delivered what was asked and the marketers went ahead and applied the name. Much to the chagrin of many a Mopar fanboy on the planet. @Funk Flex

The New York Taxi and Limousine Commission has approved the Nissan Altima and Chevrolet Impala, which join the Ford Transit Connect, on the list of vehicles approved as interim taxi cabs for the Big Apple. According to USA Today, New York cab companies are permitted to purchase those models for fleet duty until the Nissan NV200 “Taxi of Tomorrow” goes on sale. The NV200 beat out competitive designs from Ford and the Turkish Karsan V1 to earn the taxi commission’s nod, though the Nissan isn’t set to be available until 2013 at the earliest. @Funk Flex

Rumors of a diesel-powered Chevrolet Cruze have been floating around the Intertubes ever since the sedan’s launch last year, but now, we have the official word straight from General Motors: A diesel Cruze is definitely coming to the United States. Unfortunately, we won’t see the oil-burning Cruze until sometime in 2013, likely as part of the car’s mid-cycle refresh. @Funk Flex

Ford recently invited 30 visually-impaired individuals to its Merkenic Development Center test track in Cologne, Germany to put them behind the wheel for a few high-speed exercises. The program was designed to give the disabled individuals a better understanding of how vehicles behave in traffic and how they react to driver input at speed. @Funk Flex