SAVANNAH, OCT 8— Hyundai has started producing electric SUVs less than two years after its US$7.6 billion manufacturing plant west of Savannah was completed.
The Hyundai plant in Georgia held an ‘indoor celebration’ last Thursday when its first electric vehicle (EV) for commercial sale was launched, according to Bianca Johnson, spokeswoman for Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America (HMGMA) in a statement to AP yesterday.
“After the process of verifying its production meets Hyundai Motor Group’s high quality standards, HMGMA began producing customer vehicles ahead of schedule,” said Johnson.
He said the grand opening celebration at the Georgia factory is expected in the first quarter of 2025.
The South Korean automaker and battery partner LG Energy Solution plan to employ 8,500 workers at the Bryan County site, about 80 kilometers west of Savannah, once the plant is fully operational.
Hyundai says it will produce up to 300,000 EVs a year in Georgia along with its batteries..
The area around the factory’s vehicle production is ready and staffed by more than 1,000 workers, Johnson said. The battery making facility is still under construction.
The first vehicle produced at the Georgia site will be the 2025 model year Hyundai Ioniq 5 electric SUV. Johnson said the American-made EV will arrive at dealerships in the United States before the end of the year.
In the first half of 2024, the Ioniq 5 will be the second best-selling electric vehicle in America not made by industry leader Tesla.
Hyundai broke ground on its Georgia plant in late October 2022. It is the largest economic development project the state has ever seen with US$2.1 billion in tax breaks and other incentives from state and local governments.
Hyundai is looking to start making EVs in Georgia within two years of breaking ground after being spurred by federal electric vehicle incentives that reward domestic production. – AP
