Hyundai Motor Group and Korean battery manufacturer SK On have officially commenced operations at their new $5 billion battery manufacturing facility in Bartow County, Georgia. The plant, operating under the name Hyundai SK Battery Manufacturing America, recently finished trial runs and has entered its early production phase.
Scaling for the Future
Spanning 3.3 million square feet, the facility is designed to reach a peak annual capacity of 35 gigawatt-hours. At full scale, this output is sufficient to supply battery packs for approximately 300,000 electric vehicles. The project is expected to create 3,500 jobs, serving as a critical hub for Hyundai and Kia’s North American EV ecosystem.
Strategic Onshoring
The batteries produced at the Bartow County site will supply Hyundai’s nearby Metaplant America, which assembles the Ioniq 5 and the upcoming three-row Ioniq 9 SUV. It will also support Kia’s manufacturing operations in West Point, Georgia, where the EV6 and EV9 are produced. Despite a broader industry slowdown in EV sales, Hyundai remains committed to its localized supply chain strategy.
This facility is one of two major battery investments for Hyundai in the state; the automaker is also developing a $4.3 billion joint venture with LG Energy Solution. Together, these projects position Georgia as a central pillar in the shift toward domestic electric vehicle production.
