Hyundai Expands Georgia EV Factory to 500,000 Units \ Newslooks \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ Hyundai is expanding its $7.6 billion electric vehicle factory in Georgia to produce 500,000 units annually. The announcement coincided with Trump’s 25% auto import tariffs, from which Hyundai’s U.S.-built cars will be exempt. The move strengthens Hyundai’s U.S. footprint and signals major growth in American EV manufacturing.
Hyundai Expands Georgia EV Factory to 500,000 Units: Quick Looks
- Hyundai opens $7.6 billion EV plant in Georgia
- Factory expansion boosts output from 300,000 to 500,000 vehicles yearly
- Announcement aligns with new 25% U.S. auto import tariffs
- Trump praises Hyundai’s U.S. investments as tariff victory
- EVs made in Georgia won’t face import taxes
- Plant produces Ioniq 5 and upcoming Ioniq 9 SUVs
- Hyundai to begin hybrid production at Georgia site
- Over 1,200 workers currently employed, with more expected
- Site spans 3,000 acres; delivers one vehicle per minute
- Part of $21B U.S. investment plan over three years
- $5.8B Hyundai steel mill also planned in Louisiana
Deep Look
Hyundai Expands Georgia EV Production to 500,000 Vehicles Annually Amid New U.S. Tariff Landscape
Hyundai is doubling down on its commitment to American manufacturing, unveiling an ambitious expansion of its electric vehicle (EV) operations in Georgia. On Wednesday, the South Korean auto giant celebrated the official opening of its $7.6 billion EV factory in Bryan County and revealed plans to increase annual production capacity from 300,000 to 500,000 vehicles—an impressive two-thirds growth.
The announcement came just hours after former President Donald Trump announced sweeping new 25% tariffs on imported vehicles. Hyundai, however, will sidestep those penalties thanks to its growing U.S. footprint. The timing underscored the strategic benefit of Hyundai’s local production strategy, which Trump praised as a “clear demonstration that tariffs very strongly work.”
A Factory Built for the Future
Speaking to an energized crowd of employees dressed in blue work shirts, Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chairman Euisun Chung framed the expansion as a long-term commitment to the U.S. market.
“We came to Georgia to stay, to invest, and to grow,” Chung said. “I have never been more confident about building the future of mobility with America, in America.”
The Georgia facility, which began production less than six months ago, sprawls across 3,000 acres and currently employs more than 1,200 workers. It is already producing the all-electric Ioniq 5 SUV, with the larger Ioniq 9 expected to join the line this spring. Hyundai also revealed that hybrid production will soon begin, with hybrids projected to make up a third of the plant’s output over time.
High-Tech Manufacturing at Lightning Speed
Inside the facility, workers collaborate with hundreds of precision robots that stamp, weld, paint, and assemble vehicle parts. Completed cars roll off the line roughly once every 60 seconds—a pace that underscores Hyundai’s efficiency-focused manufacturing model.
Hyundai CEO Jose Munoz said the expansion is effectively equivalent to building another plant altogether. “This plant couldn’t come at a better time,” Munoz said, highlighting that all vehicles produced here will be exempt from import tariffs, reinforcing Hyundai’s competitive edge in the U.S. EV market.
Part of a $21 Billion U.S. Investment Strategy
Hyundai’s Georgia expansion is just one piece of a broader $21 billion investment plan for the United States over the next three years. Announced during a visit to the White House earlier this week, that plan includes a $5.8 billion Hyundai steel plant in Louisiana, which will supply auto parts for factories in Georgia and Alabama.
Chung, during his White House visit, told Trump: “We are really proud to stand with you and proud to build the future together.”
Prior to the latest expansion, Hyundai had already committed to employing 8,500 workers at the Georgia site. Battery manufacturing partners working on-site are expected to add an additional 3,500 jobs. While the company hasn’t released estimates for how many more jobs the 200,000-vehicle production increase will require, employment growth is anticipated.
Fast Ramp-Up, Big Incentives
Hyundai’s pace has been remarkable. Ground was broken in late 2022, and full EV production began in under two years—one of the fastest turnarounds for a project of this scale. It also represents Georgia’s largest-ever economic development initiative. The plant was made possible by over $2.1 billion in state and local tax incentives, infrastructure investment, and subsidies.
EVs are a fast-growing segment of the U.S. auto market, accounting for 8.1% of new car sales in 2024—up from 7.9% the previous year. Hyundai’s Ioniq 5 has already emerged as the second-best-selling EV in the U.S. not made by Tesla, reinforcing the automaker’s fast rise in the electric segment.
Hyundai’s U.S. Strategy Gains Momentum
The Georgia plant is not only an investment in capacity but a signal of Hyundai’s long-term strategy. The company is betting that American-made EVs, supported by U.S. workers and shielded from tariffs, will become a cornerstone of its global growth.
As the Biden administration—and possibly a future Trump administration—continues to wield trade policy to protect U.S. industry, Hyundai’s local production model is positioning it to thrive regardless of the political climate.
For Georgia and the surrounding Southeast region, Hyundai’s expansion represents a major economic win, and potentially a new EV production hub to rival Michigan and California. With more than 12,000 jobs expected in total at the site and supporting partners, the plant could be transformational for the region.
The expanded production is expected to come online gradually, and the full capacity of 500,000 vehicles per year will solidify Hyundai’s role as one of the top EV producers in the U.S.
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