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Hyundai's factory in Georgia held an “employee-focused
celebration” Thursday as its first EV for commercial sale rolled
off the assembly line, Bianca Johnson, spokesperson for Hyundai
Motor Group Metaplant America, said in a statement provided
Monday to The Associated Press.
“After validating its production processes to ensure its
vehicles meet Hyundai Motor Group’s high quality standards,
HMGMA has started initial production of customer vehicles ahead
of schedule,” Johnson said.
She said a grand opening celebration at the Georgia plant is
expected in the first quarter of 2025.
The South Korean automaker and battery partner LG Energy
Solution plan to employ 8,500 total workers at the Bryan County
site, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) west of Savannah, once the
plant is fully operational. Hyundai has said it will produce up
to 300,000 EVs per year in Georgia, as well as the batteries
that power them.
The plant's vehicle production areas have been completed and are
being staffed by more than 1,000 workers, Johnson said. Its
battery-making facilities remain under construction.
The first vehicles being produced at the Georgia site are 2025
models of Hyundai's Ioniq 5 electric SUVs. Johnson said those
American-made EVs will arrive at U.S. dealerships before the end
of this year.
During the first half of 2024, the Ioniq 5 was America’s
second-best-selling electric vehicle not made by industry leader
Tesla.
Hyundai broke ground on its Georgia plant in late October 2022.
It's the largest economic development project the state has ever
seen, and came with a whopping $2.1 billion in tax breaks and
other incentives from the state and local governments.
Hyundai rushed to start making EVs in Georgia within two years
of groundbreaking, spurred by federal electric vehicle
incentives that reward domestic production.
The Inflation Reduction Act, passed in 2022 with provisions
intended to combat climate change, includes a tax credit that
saves EV buyers up to $7,500, but only on cars made in North
America with domestic batteries. Though Hyundai executives
complained the law was unfair, Hyundai President and Global
Chief Operating Officer Jose Munoz has also said it caused the
automaker to push to open sooner in Georgia.
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