Audi Georgia plant: $4 billion first US factory with 4,500 jobs

Key takeaways

• Audi has picked the Middle Georgia Megasite in Peach County for its first US production site, putting about $4 billion into the project.
• The carmaker plans about 4,500 jobs and capacity for up to 200,000 premium SUVs a year, built for North American buyers.
• Audi says construction should start in 2027, with production planned for the early 2030s.
• President Donald Trump announced the plant at a campaign rally in Perry, Georgia, on Saturday, October 24, and credited his auto tariffs. That is his claim; the company's release gives market and trade-risk reasons.
• Models are not confirmed by Audi. A US official told Reuters the plant is expected to assemble the Q7, Q8 and Q9.

The Audi Georgia plant will be the German carmaker's first factory in the United States: a roughly $4 billion site near Macon with about 4,500 jobs and capacity for up to 200,000 SUVs a year, Audi said on October 25.

Audi Georgia plant: what happened

Trump revealed the project on Saturday, October 24, during a midterm campaign rally at Guardian Centers in Perry, Houston County, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (AJC). Audi chief executive Gernot Döllner spoke at the event, telling the crowd the company would bring its "biggest and most premium SUVs" to the region, Reuters and the AJC reported.

Audi AG then published a release, datelined Ingolstadt and Perry, confirming the plan. Georgia Governor Brian Kemp posted the news on X at 00:28 UTC on October 25 and said Peach County and the surrounding region would benefit for decades. His office issued its own release the same day.

Some reports, including the AJC, put the investment at $4.2 billion. Audi's own figure is "about $4 billion", which this article uses.

Key figures

What we know

• Why Georgia: Audi cited an investment-ready site, a skilled workforce, an established supplier network and strong logistics.
• Why the US: The company calls the United States the world's second-largest premium car market. It says North America will become its third production pillar after Europe and China, and that building locally cuts exposure to trade and currency risks.
• Who said what: "We have much greater ambitions for Audi in America," Döllner said in the release. Production board member Gerd Walker said a new plant lets Audi "rethink manufacturing from day one."
• Local groundwork: Georgia bought the first megasite land in mid-2022 with the Development Authority of Peach County. Bibb, Houston and Peach counties have each pledged $7 million to prepare and market the site, the AJC reported.

What we don't know yet

• Incentives: Audi's release does not mention state or federal incentives. As of early October 25 (UTC), no incentive package had been published in the sources reviewed.
• Exact timeline: Audi gives only 2027 for construction and "early 2030s" for production. Some local reports describe a later construction phase; the company has not published dates for site grading or full output.
• Models and drivetrains: Audi has not named the models for the plant or said whether they will be electric, hybrid or petrol.
• Hiring: No application process or wage details have been announced.

Background: tariffs and Audi's US position

Audi currently has no US assembly plant and ships its American cars from Europe or Mexico, Reuters reported. Trump has raised tariffs on imported vehicles, parts, steel and aluminum, and told the Perry rally the auto tariffs are helping the economy. According to Reuters, Republican Sen. Bernie Moreno of Ohio said the plant "would never have happened without tariffs." Critics argue the tariffs have raised car prices and delayed some automaker investment, Reuters noted. For more on recent tariff moves, see our report on Trump's Canada tariff exemptions.

Reuters reported that tariffs cost Audi about $1.4 billion last year. It also said Audi's US sales are down 16% so far in 2026. Separately, Audi plans to build about 25,000 vehicles a year at Volkswagen sister brand Scout Motors' $2 billion plant in Blythewood, South Carolina. Other European carmakers are also under pressure, as shown by Volvo Cars' record share drop after its Q3 loss.

The announcement came ten days before the November 3 midterm elections, as Georgia holds close governor and Senate races. The plant joins other big auto projects in the state, including Hyundai's EV factory near Savannah, Kia's plant in West Georgia and Rivian's planned factory east of Atlanta, the AJC noted.

What it means

For Middle Georgia, a 4,500-job employer would add a major private workforce next to Robins Air Force Base, which the AJC says employs more than 21,000 people. The three surrounding counties have a combined population above 360,000, the AJC reported. For Audi, the plant closes a long-standing gap: with every US car currently imported, the brand has been directly exposed to import tariffs, and local output is meant to reduce that risk. The real effect on jobs and prices will depend on details not yet released: incentives, models and the build schedule. More coverage is collected on our Donald Trump and Tariffs topic pages.

Sources

• Audi AG: Audi to establish first U.S. production site in Georgia, investing $4 billion and creating 4,500 jobs
• Office of the Governor of Georgia: Audi AG Selects Georgia to Invest $4 Billion in First US Manufacturing Facility
• Gov. Brian Kemp (@GovKemp) on X, October 25, 2026
• Reuters via KSL: Trump announces Audi will build $4B factory in Georgia
• Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Audi to build Georgia factory near Macon
• Associated Press: Trump announces at a Georgia campaign rally that Audi will build a new auto factory in the state