SK On and Hyundai start battery cell production in Georgia
The battery cell plant operated by Hyundai Motor Group and SK On in Georgia has been producing cells since June. The facility, run by the joint venture Hyundai-SK Battery Manufacturing America (HSBMA), supplies batteries to Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America (HMGMA) in Savannah.
The partners established the joint venture in 2023 and, according to previous statements, invested around five billion US dollars in the Bartow County facility. As the Korea Herald reports, the plant currently employs around 3,500 people and is expected to reach an annual production capacity of 35 GWh at full scale. According to the companies, this output is sufficient to supply batteries for approximately 300,000 electric vehicles per year.
The plant is currently ramping up production. “We are in the early stages of battery production, and we will continue increasing our output,” a company spokesperson told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Hyundai Mobis assembles the battery cells produced in Georgia into battery packs before installing them in locally manufactured electric vehicles from Hyundai, Kia and Genesis. By localising battery production, the partners aim to reduce transport distances and strengthen supply chain resilience for vehicle manufacturing sites across North America.
The state of Georgia supported the project with tax incentives and other subsidies worth a total of 641 million US dollars. With the start of battery cell production, Hyundai Motor Group is further expanding its local battery supply chain in North America.
Georgia is emerging as a key location for the South Korean battery industry. SK On already operates a battery cell and component manufacturing site in the state through SK Battery America. In addition, Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solution are building another battery plant near Hyundai’s vehicle factory in Savannah.
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