2024.10.11
Ioniq 5 production begins early at Hyundai's $5.5 billion Georgia facility
By
SARAH CHEA, Korea JoongAng Daily - Hyundai Motor began producing Ioniq 5s at
its $5.5 billion Georgia plant, around six months ahead of its initial schedule
in a rush move to qualify for federal EV incentives that reward domestic
production.
Hyundai
confirmed that the production is a pilot operation, with full-scale production
slated for later this month. The official opening celebration is scheduled for
the first quarter of 2025.
Hyundai's
factory in Georgia held an “employee-focused celebration” in early October.
The
Korean carmaker began construction of the EV facility in October 2022, with a
$5.5 billion investment, the largest economic development project the state has
ever seen. Hyundai had previously stated that production would start in the
first quarter of 2025.
The
expedited production comes as the Korean automaker hopes to make its EVs
qualify for tax credits under the Inflation Reduction Act, which passed in 2022
and offers up to $7,500 to EVs assembled in North America.
Ioniq
5s are the first EVs to be produced at the plant, with around seven different
models expected to be produced.
Hyundai
Motor recently decided to upgrade the facility to include a hybrid production
line amid growing demand for hybrid vehicles instead of pure EVs.
The
Georgia plant will have an annual production capacity of 300,000 units, which
can later be increased to 500,000.