Hyundai Motor Group announced in a statement it has entered into an agreement with the state of Georgia to build its first dedicated full electric vehicle and battery manufacturing facilities in the U.S.

The new EV plant and battery manufacturing facilities represent an investment of approximately $5.54 billion. The new facility will break ground in early 2023 and is expected to begin commercial production in the first half of 2025, with an annual capacity of 300,000 units.

The EV and battery manufacturing plant will be located in Bryan County, Georgia, with immediate access to I-95 and I-16 highways, making for easy access to 250 major metro areas. It is about 50 kilometers from the Port of Savannah with two Class I rail facilities on-site provided by Georgia Central Railway. 

“The future of transportation is in the Peach State as we announce the largest project in our state’s history – delivering high-quality jobs on the leading edge of mobility to hardworking Georgians,” said Governor Kemp in the announcement. “Not only are we thrilled to welcome Hyundai to Georgia’s coastal region, but it’s incredible that within a year of Georgia’s investment in the Bryan County megasite, we are locating a world-class project here with a company with great Georgia history!”

“As one of the world’s most successful and advanced mobility leaders, we are incredibly proud to share our plan to open our first dedicated full EV and battery manufacturing facilities in the U.S.,” added Hyundai Motor Group executive chair Euisun Chung. “The U.S. has always held an important place in the group’s global strategy, and we are excited to partner with the state of Georgia to achieve our shared goal of electrified mobility and sustainability in the U.S.”  

The EV plant investment comes as a part of the group’s 2021 announcement to invest $7.4 billion by 2025 to foster future mobility in the U.S., including production of EVs and offering smart mobility solutions. The company targets to sell 3.23 million full electric vehicles annually by 2030. 

“We decided to build our first dedicated EV plant in the U.S. because America embraces change and drives innovation,” said Jaehoon Chang, president and CEO of Hyundai Motor Group. “This new EV plant is the future of our business, and It will help us meet the growing demands of our US customers who want leading edge design, safe, zero-emissions vehicles now and in the future.”

The group plans to implement advanced intelligent manufacturing technologies currently under test at the group’s innovation hub, the Hyundai Motor Group Innovation Center in Singapore. All processes including order collection, procurement, logistics, and production will be optimized utilizing AI and data. The manufacturing system will also help create a human-centered work environment with robots assisting human workers.

As part of the Hyundai's commitment to sustainability, the plant will mainly rely on renewable energy sources to power the facility and use emission-reduction technologies to meet the RE100 requirements.