The German automaker Audi, part of the Volkswagen Group, plans to build its first plant in the United States in the state of Georgia. President Donald Trump announced the project at a campaign rally in Perry and indicated an investment of $4.2 billion. According to the Associated Press, the plant will be built in the Macon area and will have a capacity for up to 200,000 cars per year.
Audi said the planned investment is approximately $4 billion, not $4.2 billion. The same amount was also indicated by Georgia Governor Brian Kemp. The difference has not been publicly explained, so the $4.2 billion figure is likely related to Trump's statement, while the company's official estimate is around $4 billion.
Audi's first U.S. plant
The plant is planned for the Middle Georgia Megasite in the Fort Valley area of Peach County, near Macon. The site is about 1,474 acres and is located along U.S. Route 96 and Interstate 75. The plant will produce large and premium SUV models for customers in North America.
Audi CEO Gernot Doelner attended the Perry rally with Trump. "This is a long-term investment because we believe in the American market," Doelner said, according to the Associated Press. He said the plant would focus on the brand's largest and most premium SUV models.
Production to begin in the 2030s
According to Audi, construction is expected to begin in 2027, with production in the early 2030s. The plant is expected to create approximately 4,500 direct jobs. Additional jobs could be created at suppliers, logistics companies and service partners in the region.
Reuters reported before the official announcement that the plant is expected to produce 200,000 SUVs per year, including the Q7, Q8 and Q9 models. The information was presented as a preliminary plan before Audi published its own announcement about the investment.
Trump presented the project as the result of his policy of encouraging production in the United States and linked the company's decision to tariffs on imported cars. So far, the parameters confirmed by Audi are an investment of about $4 billion, approximately 4,500 jobs, a capacity of up to 200,000 cars per year and the start of production at the beginning of the next decade.
Sources: apnews.com, investing.com, ajc.com