Hyundai Motor Group has confirmed it will invest another $2.7 billion into its Metaplant America facility in Ellabell, just west of Savannah. The expansion will add capacity for 200,000 more vehicles a year by 2028, bringing total production at the site up to 500,000 annually. Along with that, Hyundai projects 3,000 new jobs tied directly to the project.
If you have driven down I-16 recently, you have seen the scale of this megasite. It is already one of the largest economic developments in Georgia history, and this second phase of construction shows that it is continuing to grow. The expansion means the site will not just assemble cars, but will also be a major part of Hyundai’s push to build more vehicles in America, including electric and hybrid models. By 2030, the company says it wants more than 80 percent of the cars it sells in the U.S. to be built domestically.
The 3,000 new jobs connected to this expansion will add to the original 8,000 jobs Hyundai committed to creating by 2031 in order to qualify for billions in state tax incentives. These will be permanent, full-time positions at the plant and its affiliates, and that is before you count the ripple effects in construction, warehousing, and service industries.
Since the original $5.5 billion EV plant announcement, spin-off developments have been popping up across the region. Suppliers have been scouting land and new housing developments are rising to meet the needs of thousands of incoming workers.
Hyundai has said the Ellabell plant will produce up to ten different electric and hybrid models in the coming years. The company has not released an exact lineup, but industry watchers expect everything from SUVs to a new mid-sized pickup truck to be in the mix. Hyundai is betting heavily on the U.S. market, and this expansion places coastal Georgia at the center of that strategy.
Construction for this second phase will continue over the next few years, with full production capacity expected by 2028. In the meantime, the site is likely to remain a draw for automakers, investors, and families considering a move for new job opportunities.
Hyundai’s megasite has already changed the landscape of Bryan County, and this latest expansion signals that the growth is far from over.
