Hyundai to establish EV and battery factory in the US

MANILA: Hyundai Motor Group has entered into an agreement with the State of Georgia to establish its first dedicated full-electric vehicle and battery manufacturing facilities in the US.

The group's decision to invest in the US will help it achieve its goal of becoming a leader in electric mobility in the US market. It also reinforces the Hyundai commitment to environmental sustainability through electrification and to helping the economies where it operates.

Present in the official signing ceremony were Georgia Governor Brian Kemp and other Georgia officials, as well as Hyundai Motor Company President and Chief Executive Officer Jaehoon Chang and Hyundai Motor President and Chief Operating Officer Jose Muñoz. The ceremony was virtually attended by Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Euisun Chung.

“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. 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,” Gov. Kemp stated.

“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 US,” Chung said. “The US 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 US.”

Approximately US$5.54 billion has been invested in the new EV plant and battery manufacturing facilities. The EV plant is set to break ground in early 2023 and commence commercial production in the first half of 2025 with a 300,000-unit yearly capacity. The battery manufacturing facility will be built as part of a strategic partnership, the details of which will be revealed soon.

The group intends to manufacture a wide range of fully electric vehicles for US customers at the new Georgia EV plant. Production models will be revealed at a later date. The group's revolutionary EVs will be more accessible to US customers, thanks to local EV production. The group also hopes to create a secure supply chain and a thriving EV ecosystem in the US through the battery manufacturing facility.

The EV and battery manufacturing plants will be built on a 2,923-acre site in Bryan County, Georgia, with direct access to I-95 and I-16 highways, providing easy access to 250 major metro areas. It is less than 50 kilometers from the Port of Savannah, which has two Class I rail facilities on-site provided by Georgia Central Railway.

Hyundai Motor Group chose Georgia as its EV and battery production site because of various favorable business factors, including speed-to-market, skilled workforce, and an established network of affiliates and suppliers.

Georgia leads the Southeast region of the US in EV registrations per 1,000 registered vehicles. Georgia is continually expanding access to publicly available EV charging stations to support these vehicles, and already has more outlets per capita than any other state in the Southeast. The Group's new investment will support the state's big transition to electrification.

The project is expected to generate around 8,100 new jobs, reinforcing the group's commitment for the US economy.

The EV plant investment is part of the Group's 2021 announcement to invest US$7.4 billion in the US by 2025 to promote future mobility, including EV production and smart mobility solutions.

The group is stepping up its electrification initiatives, with a global goal of selling 3.23 million fully electric vehicles per year by 2030. To achieve this goal, the group plans to develop a global EV production network that will assure a consistent supply of EVs worldwide.

“We decided to build our first dedicated EV plant in the US 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 US customers who want leading edge design, safe, zero-emissions vehicles now and in the future,” Chang stated.

With the additional EV and battery production capabilities, the group aspires to become one of the top three EV manufacturers in the US by 2026. The group aims to dominate the EV market not only in terms of sales, but also of design, technologies, and mobility solutions adapted for the age of electric mobility.

The investment is aligned with the US government's goal to promote electrification, as major OEMs reveal plans to increase local EV production in the US. The US government launched a new strategy this year under which zero-emission vehicle sales should make up at least 50% of OEM's new car sales by 2030.

The new facility will have a highly connected, automated, and flexible production system that intrinsically integrates all aspects of the EV ecosystem to maximize customer value.

Many of the group's advanced intelligent production technologies, which are presently being tested at its innovation hub, the Hyundai Motor Group Innovation Center in Singapore, are set to be implemented.

The Georgia facility will become an intelligent production plant. AI and data will be used to optimize all production processes, including order gathering, procurement, transportation, and production. The groundbreaking production process will also contribute to the creation of a human-centered workplace, with robots assisting human workers.

In keeping with the group's commitment to sustainability, the plant will be powered mainly by renewable energy sources and will utilize emission-reduction technologies to meet the RE100 requirements.

Images from Hyundai Motor Group

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