3,500 new jobs on the way with new EV Hyundai, SK electric vehicle battery plant

WSBTV.com News Staff
·2 min read
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Hyundai and SK Innovation’s footprint in Georgia is growing. The major companies announced Thursday that they will build a new electric vehicle battery plant in Bartow County.

The project is expected to bring 3,500 jobs to Bartow County and could cost between $4 billion and $5 billion. Gov. Brian Kemp said it will be one of the largest economic developments in state history.

“Hyundai Motor Group and SK On are valued partners and key players in our state’s ever-growing automotive industry. Since day one, my administration has been focused on bringing jobs and opportunity to communities across the state that may have been overlooked in the past. SK and HMG share this goal, and we’re proud they are choosing to invest even further in this No. 1 state for business,” Kemp said.

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The plant is just the latest project that Channel 2 Action News has reported on as Georgia’s electric vehicle industry continues to grow.

SK Innovations opened its first battery plant in the state in 2021. The plant covers almost 300 acres along Interstate 85 in Commerce and builds batteries that power up to 250,000 cars each year.

Hyundai recently broke ground in October on its first electric vehicle plant in the United States. The car company had announced in May its plans to move to Georgia and build the $5.5 billion, 17,000-square foot plant.

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Rivian also announced last year that it would build a $5 billion plant on 2,000 acres in Morgan County. However, the plant has been met with legal challenges and opposition from neighbors.

In September, a Morgan County judge sided with people fighting against the plant. The judge ruled that the Joint Development Authority of Jasper, Morgan, Newton, and Walton counties did not do its due diligence to determine whether Rivian is financially viable.

The state of Georgia offered Rivian the use of the land essentially for free through 2047. As part of the deal, the JDA entered into a long-term rental agreement on the property where Rivian plans to employ 7,500.

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