Hyundai opened its Georgia “Metaplant” in 2025 and almost immediately started building it bigger. The $7.6 billion vehicle factory near Ellabell was designed to turn out 300,000 electric cars a year. The target is now 500,000, a mix of EVs and hybrids, and the work to get there is under way alongside live production.
Project Scope
The site is the anchor of a much larger commitment. Counting the plant and two battery joint ventures with LG Energy Solution and SK On, Hyundai’s Georgia investment runs to $12.6 billion, the largest in the state’s history, with 8,500 jobs planned at the plant by 2031. The IONIQ 9 three-row SUV is already coming off the line, with Kia and some Genesis models joining in 2026. A $4.3 billion battery cell plant with LG is set to open in the first half of 2026 after a delay tied to a federal immigration raid at the site.
Why It Matters
This is what a modern auto plant looks like when it’s built for electrification from the slab up: stamping, body, paint, assembly, and battery all on or beside one campus. The scale of the build, and the speed of the expansion that followed, make it one of the most consequential industrial projects in the Southeast. It also sits at the center of the labor and immigration questions pressing on the construction workforce right now, after enforcement action stalled the battery plant’s schedule. Production and model news comes from Hyundai.
Project Team & Details
| Developer | Hyundai Motor Group |
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| Owner / Client | Hyundai Motor Group |
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| Status | Under Construction |
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| Funding Source | Private |
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