Heavy equipment operators have started clearing and grading land northwest of Savannah, Ga., for a sprawling $5.54-billion electric vehicle (EV) and battery manufacturing facility to be built by Hyundai Motor Group.
The state-of-the-art smart factory will go up at the Bryan County Megasite adjacent to Interstate 16 and less than 30 miles from the Port of Savannah, the largest and fastest-growing container terminal in the U.S.
Hyundai expects to begin construction on the new facility in January, with full production anticipated in the first half of 2025. The plant is expected to turn out about 300,000 electric vehicles annually and create 8,100 new jobs in Georgia’s coastal region.
Suppliers will be investing another $1 billion in the project.
The project was announced earlier this year by the South Korean automaker and an official groundbreaking is expected to be held in a few weeks at the nearly 3,000-acre site.
There had been concerns that the plans might be complicated by a new U.S. climate law signed recently which stipulates that certain electric vehicles assembled overseas would no longer qualify for a $7,500 price reduction like those from domestic manufacturers, but the board of directors of the Savannah Economic Development Authority were told recently the project is on track and on budget.
“We are proud to welcome Hyundai Motor Group to Georgia as we forge an innovative future together,” Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said in a statement. “From initial conversations on my economic development mission to Korea to Georgia’s investment in the Bryan County Megasite, we’ve been preparing for an opportunity like this for a long time.”
The project is the largest economic development project in the state’s history. It will strengthen Georgia’s position in electrification-related manufacturing and innovation. At the new facility, Hyundai plans to implement many of its advanced intelligent manufacturing technologies that are currently being tested.
The company is looking at intelligent A.I.-equipped manufacturing and data-driven processes to best meet demands of customers. The new plant will help support Hyundai’s efforts to achieve carbon neutrality through the active use of renewable energy for the facility.
Hyundai chose Georgia because of its workforce and the state’s ability to meet the company’s carbon neutrality standards. Additionally, Georgia is home to an existing network of Hyundai subsidiaries and suppliers.
The Bryan County Megasite offers the needed speed-to-market requirements as there is immediate access to transportation corridors.
Jaehoon Chang, president and CEO of Hyundai Motor Company, said the automaker decided to build its first dedicated EV plant in the U.S. because America embraces change and drives innovation.
“This new EV plant is the future of our business, and it will help us meet the growing demands of our U.S. customers who want leading-edge design, safe, zero-emissions vehicles now and in the future,” he noted.
The plant is being lauded for its location which is near interstate roads – namely I-16 and I-95 – which provide access to 250 major metropolitan areas, and the fact it is less than 30 miles from the Garden City Terminal which provides access to global and domestic markets for assembly components and finished vehicle marketing.
“The group’s decision to expand here in Georgia is a clear endorsement of the Peach State as a dynamic center for cutting-edge manufacturing,” said Georgia Ports Authority executive director Griff Lynch.
According to Hyundai, the new plant will be a highly automated and flexible EV factory. The company plans to produce a diverse range of innovative full-electric vehicles. Details of production models will be shared at later dates.
Through the battery manufacturing facility, the company also aims to establish a stable supply chain for EV battery and other EV components in the U.S. market.
Lately, Georgia has become a hub of increased investment for companies in the electric mobility ecosystem and supply chain. The state is the southeastern leader for EV registrations per 1,000 registered automobiles and offers more EV charging outlets per capita than anywhere else in the Southeast.
Since 2020 alone, Georgia has announced more than 20 EV-related projects that will invest more than $13.54 billion and create nearly 18,000 jobs in the state.
Korean lithium-ion battery recycler and raw materials provider SungEel HiTech plans to build its first U.S. recycling facility at the Hayestone Brady Business Park in Stephens County, northeast of Atlanta. The company is planning to invest more than $37 million in the new facility. Operations are expected to begin in early 2024.
Meanwhile, Rivian Automotive is planning a $5-billion EV factory on a roughly 2,000-acre site in Morgan and Walton counties about 45 miles east of Atlanta.
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