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Audi picks Georgia for its first US plant, a roughly $4 billion SUV factory with production not due until the early 2030s
Trump unveiled the Volkswagen-owned brand's plan at a Georgia rally, crediting tariffs, but state and local timelines put full output years away.
HedgeWeekly News Desk ·
Audi, the luxury car brand owned by Volkswagen, plans to build its first US factory near Macon, Georgia. President Donald Trump announced the project on Saturday evening at a campaign rally at Guardian Centers in Perry, Georgia, where Audi chief Gernot Döllner joined him on stage, according to the Associated Press.
Trump put the investment at $4.2 billion and annual capacity at 200,000 vehicles; local reporting described the outlay as about $4 billion. An Audi news release cited by the AP projects roughly 4,500 jobs. The plant will sit on the 1,474-acre Middle Georgia Megasite in Peach County, close to Interstate 75, and is set to make large premium SUVs including the Q7, Q8 and Q9, according to VINnews. Döllner called it a long-term bet on the US market.
Trump said Audi's decision was a result of his tariff policies and that building would start next month. The schedules given by others are longer. The AP reported that construction is due to begin in 2027, with production starting in the early 2030s, and state and local officials told VINnews they expect site grading in 2027, construction in 2028 and full production around 2031. Governor Brian Kemp welcomed the choice of Georgia, which already hosts Kia and Hyundai plants.
Why it matters: the plant does nothing for Audi's US tariff bill this decade. Every vehicle it is meant to build would arrive only after the early-2030s start date officials describe, so near-term exposure is unchanged. Volkswagen is also adding capacity at its Scout Motors plant under construction in South Carolina, and the Georgia project adds another long-dated capital commitment to the group's US footprint. Investors should treat Trump's $4.2 billion figure and his construction date as unconfirmed until Volkswagen or Audi publishes the budget and schedule. The announcement also came at a rally held days before the November 3 midterm elections.