Hyundai and SK On open $5 billion Georgia battery plant in US EV push

Hyundai Motor Group and its battery partner SK On have begun production at a new $5 billion electric-vehicle battery plant in Bartow County, northwest of Atlanta, marking another milestone in the Korean automaker's aggressive expansion across the American South. A spokesperson for the 50/50 joint venture said the site is in the early stages of production and will gradually ramp up output in the months ahead.

The factory anchors Hyundai's broader $12.6 billion Metaplant America project, described by state officials as the largest economic development in Georgia's history. First announced in late 2022 and finalized in April 2023, the plant is designed to reach an annual capacity of about 35 gigawatt-hours once fully operational, enough to supply cells for hundreds of thousands of vehicles a year.

Batteries from the new facility will first flow to Hyundai's nearby Metaplant, where the popular IONIQ 5 and the three-row IONIQ 9 are assembled. SK On has already been feeding the Metaplant from a separate dedicated plant in Commerce, Georgia, since April 2025, while Hyundai opened another battery facility with LG Energy Solution near Savannah earlier this year.

The timing is strategic. Hyundai is closing in on becoming the second-best-selling EV brand in the United States, a title currently held by General Motors' Chevrolet. According to Kelley Blue Book data, Hyundai sold 26,936 fully electric vehicles in the US during the first half of 2026, trailing Chevrolet's 28,267 by just 1,331 units and ranking third behind market leader Tesla.

Momentum is shifting in Hyundai's favor. Chevrolet's EV sales tumbled roughly 40% year over year, while the IONIQ 5 held its position as America's third-best-selling electric vehicle behind the Tesla Model 3 and Model Y. Sales of the larger IONIQ 9 have surged about 380% this year as buyers seek more efficient family options amid higher fuel costs.

By localizing battery production, Hyundai is also insulating itself from shifting US trade and subsidy rules that increasingly reward domestic manufacturing. The company has told reporters that its electric models are drawing new customers to the brand at higher conquest rates than its gasoline or hybrid vehicles, underscoring why battery capacity has become central to its North American strategy.