Audi to Invest $4 Billion in Georgia Plant With Capacity for 200,000 Vehicles a Year
Key Facts
Audi and Georgia’s governor announced on October 24, 2026, that the state had been selected as the site of the company’s first U.S. production facility, with an investment of about $4 billion and around 4,500 jobs expected. The plant will be built at the Middle Georgia Mega Site in Peach County, according to the governor’s office. The facility is designed to produce up to 200,000 vehicles a year, Audi said. The company plans to manufacture premium sport utility vehicles for North American customers. Chief Executive Gernot Döllner said the United States was "one of the most important luxury car markets in the world, and we have not yet achieved our full potential there."
The project expands Audi’s industrial footprint in a market where the company says it has yet to realize its full potential, with the stated goals of building a stronger business, delivering profitable growth and boosting its competitiveness in North America. Audi says local manufacturing will help reduce its exposure to trade and currency risks while meeting regional customers’ needs with models designed for them. Döllner described the investment as a long-term commitment, saying, "We believe in the U.S. market," according to the Associated Press. The company sees North America as the third main pillar of its global production network, alongside Europe and China. The plan is therefore part of a geographically broader manufacturing network, while keeping those two markets as established pillars of Audi’s global production model.
Tariffs provide financial context for the project: Reuters estimated that U.S. tariffs cost Audi 1.2 billion euros, equivalent to 1.4 billion dollars, in the year before its report. The company imported all vehicles destined for the U.S. market from Europe or Mexico, according to the report. Establishing production in the United States makes the company less exposed to the trade risks Audi cited and reduces the extent to which meeting U.S. demand depends on those import routes. The company also cites currency risks as a reason to strengthen its local presence, without specifying the expected savings or the plant’s financial impact. Audi describes the project as part of a broader effort to build more balanced and resilient global operations.
Audi said Georgia offered an investment-ready site, a skilled workforce, an established automotive supplier network and strong logistics infrastructure. The state’s governor said authorities had purchased and improved the industrial site to attract an automaker that would bring jobs to the region. The selection of the Middle Georgia Mega Site reflects the site preparation completed before the announcement, as well as the partnership among counties cited by the state. Audi sees these advantages as a suitable foundation for establishing large-scale production capacity and serving the regional market. The state plans to develop a workforce training program with the company and local technical colleges.
The timeline includes several years of work before the plant reaches operating capacity: Georgia’s government expects land grading to begin in 2027, followed by construction of the facility in 2028, with full production at an annual capacity of 200,000 units expected in 2031. Audi’s statement says construction is scheduled to begin in 2027 and production is planned for the early 2030s; the state’s statement distinguishes between grading in 2027 and construction beginning in 2028. The Georgia Quick Start initiative will work with Audi to develop a tailored training curriculum and design a training center. It will also work with campuses in the Technical College System of Georgia to begin training employees while the center is being built. The expected production start is therefore linked to preparing the facility and training the workforce in the preceding years.