Audi plans a $4 billion SUV plant at the Middle Georgia Megasite with about 4,500 jobs, about 90 miles south of Atlanta. Full production is set for 2031.
Audi will build its first U.S. factory in Georgia. The German automaker plans to invest about $4 billion in a plant at the Middle Georgia Megasite in Peach County, about 90 miles south of downtown Atlanta off Interstate 75. The state says the plant will bring about 4,500 jobs.
Gov. Brian Kemp and Gernot Döllner, Audi’s CEO, announced the project Saturday. The details here come from the governor’s office release and Audi’s own release.
What Audi plans to build
The plant will make premium SUVs designed for North American buyers. Audi said the site is built for a capacity of up to 200,000 vehicles a year.
The two releases give the timeline slightly differently:
- The state says Audi expects to begin grading in 2027 and construction in 2028, with full production in 2031.
- Audi says construction is scheduled to begin in 2027, with production starting in the early 2030s.
Audi has no plant in the United States today. The company said the U.S. is the world’s second-largest premium car market. It wants North America to become a third pillar of its production network, alongside Europe and China. Audi said local production will also reduce its exposure to trade and currency risks.
“We have much greater ambitions for Audi in America,” Döllner said in Audi’s release. He said the project was about building a stronger Audi business in the U.S., not only a factory.
Why middle Georgia
According to the state, Audi cited four reasons for choosing Georgia:
- speed to market
- the workforce
- access to consumer markets
- an established automotive supply chain nearby
The Development Authority of Peach County marketed the megasite with the Mid-Georgia Gateway Joint Development Authority. That authority is a partnership of Peach, Houston and Macon-Bibb counties. The state says industrial utilities already run next to the site, and its due diligence studies are done, which lets Audi build quickly.
The site has Norfolk Southern rail access. The ports of Savannah and Brunswick are each less than five hours away by rail, the state said. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is a 90-minute drive.
“We purchased and made more improvements to the Middle Georgia Megasite for just this purpose: to bring a job-creating, high-caliber automotive manufacturer to this region,” Kemp said in the state’s release.
Roy Lewis chairs the joint development authority and the Peach County Board of Commissioners. He said the decision “realizes the vision we had for the Middle Georgia Megasite.”
What it means for you
- Jobs are years away. Neither release gives a hiring date, job titles or pay figures. The state says only that wages for all roles will be “well-paying in the local market.”
- Training comes first. Georgia Quick Start, the state’s workforce training program, will design training for Audi and a dedicated training center. It will start instruction at Technical College System of Georgia campuses while that center is built.
- The incentive package was not disclosed. The governor’s release does not say what tax breaks or grants the state or the three counties offered Audi.
- Suppliers may follow. Audi said the plant is expected to create work for suppliers, service providers and training partners in the region. It named none.
This page will be updated when Audi or the state publishes hiring, training or incentive details.
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