Hyundai’s manufacturing push in the United States could be about to get significantly bigger.
The Korean automaker is considering another major expansion of Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America (HMGMA) in Georgia, potentially increasing annual production capacity to between 700,000 and 800,000 vehicles by 2028.
If Hyundai reaches the upper end of that range, its relatively new Georgia manufacturing complex could become the largest vehicle assembly plant in the United States by annual production capacity.
The proposed expansion has not been finalized, but Hyundai Motor Company CEO José Muñoz confirmed that the automaker is studying additional capacity as it works to manufacture a much larger percentage of the vehicles it sells in America domestically.
And there is another major factor pushing Hyundai in that direction: tariffs.
Hyundai Could Build 800,000 Vehicles a Year in Georgia
According to a report from Carscoops, Hyundai is evaluating whether to increase HMGMA’s planned annual capacity from approximately 500,000 vehicles to between 700,000 and 800,000 vehicles by 2028.
Muñoz discussed the possibility following the introduction of the Genesis GV90, although Hyundai subsequently clarified that the additional expansion remains under consideration rather than officially approved.
That distinction matters.
Hyundai isn’t announcing an 800,000-unit factory just yet. Instead, the company appears to be examining how much additional American manufacturing capacity it will need as its U.S. product portfolio grows.
Even so, the numbers demonstrate just how important the Georgia operation has become to Hyundai’s North American strategy.
From 300,000 Vehicles to Potentially 800,000
Hyundai originally announced the Georgia Metaplant in 2022.
Initial plans centered heavily around electric vehicles, with approximately 300,000 vehicles of annual production capacity.
Those ambitions didn’t stay small for very long.
Hyundai subsequently outlined an expansion toward 500,000 vehicles annually, supported by a previously announced $2.7 billion Phase 2 investment that would add approximately 200,000 units of capacity and create around 3,000 additional jobs.
Now Hyundai is considering going significantly further.
An 800,000-unit target would represent roughly 300,000 additional vehicles beyond the existing 500,000-unit plan.
That’s a massive manufacturing footprint for a facility that only began producing vehicles in late 2024.
Hyundai Wants to Build Most of Its U.S. Vehicles in America
The bigger story isn’t simply the size of the Georgia factory.
It’s Hyundai’s attempt to dramatically increase how many of its American-market vehicles are actually manufactured in the United States.
Hyundai has targeted producing more than 80 percent of the vehicles it sells in the U.S. domestically by 2030. In 2024, that figure was approximately 40 percent.
Doubling that percentage requires considerably more factory capacity.
HMGMA is expected to play a central role.
The facility was originally designed around Hyundai’s growing EV business, but Hyundai has increasingly emphasized flexible manufacturing capable of producing both electric and hybrid vehicles.
That strategy looks increasingly important as American consumers continue buying hybrids in large numbers while EV growth develops differently across individual market segments.
The Georgia Metaplant Is Already Building EVs and Hybrids
Hyundai’s Georgia factory currently produces vehicles including the:
- Hyundai IONIQ 5
- Hyundai IONIQ 9
- Kia Sportage Hybrid
The combination is significant because HMGMA is no longer simply an EV factory.
Hyundai has positioned the plant to support a broader electrified lineup spanning battery-electric and hybrid vehicles.
Previous company plans indicated HMGMA could eventually manufacture a mix of approximately 10 hybrid and electric models.
That gives Hyundai considerable flexibility.
If EV demand accelerates, Hyundai can increase EV production.
If buyers continue shifting toward hybrids, Hyundai can allocate more capacity toward hybrid vehicles.
In today’s automotive market, that flexibility may prove more valuable than betting an entire factory on one powertrain.
Tariffs Are Accelerating Hyundai’s U.S. Manufacturing Push
There is also a less glamorous reason Hyundai wants more American production.
Tariffs.
South Korean vehicle imports currently face a 15 percent U.S. tariff, creating additional financial pressure on imported Hyundai, Kia and Genesis vehicles.
Muñoz acknowledged that tariffs have accelerated Hyundai’s localization plans, although the automaker had already been moving toward increased U.S. manufacturing before the tariff changes.
Producing more vehicles domestically can reduce Hyundai’s exposure to import duties while potentially increasing the amount of locally sourced components used in those vehicles.
Hyundai previously said it intends to increase U.S. supply-chain localization from roughly 60 percent to 80 percent as part of its broader manufacturing strategy.
That means the impact extends beyond Hyundai’s assembly plants.
More domestic production can translate into additional business for American parts suppliers, logistics companies and supporting manufacturing operations.
Hyundai Has Committed $26 Billion to the United States
The possible Georgia expansion would fall within Hyundai Motor Group’s previously announced $26 billion U.S. investment program through 2028.
That investment encompasses significantly more than vehicle assembly.
Hyundai Motor Group has been expanding its American presence across vehicle production, batteries, steel, supply-chain infrastructure and advanced manufacturing technology.
For Hyundai, building vehicles closer to its customers also reduces some of the uncertainty created by international trade policy.
Tariffs may change.
EV incentives may change.
Consumer preferences definitely change.
A highly flexible American factory capable of producing several powertrain configurations gives Hyundai another way to respond without relying as heavily on imported vehicles.
Could Hyundai’s Georgia Plant Become America’s Largest?
That’s where the proposed 800,000-unit capacity becomes particularly interesting.
At that level, HMGMA could potentially surpass major American manufacturing operations operated by companies including Toyota and Tesla in terms of individual plant capacity.
And Hyundai’s Georgia presence doesn’t exist in isolation.
The company already operates its long-established manufacturing plant in Montgomery, Alabama, while Kia operates another major factory in West Point, Georgia.
Combined with HMGMA, Hyundai Motor Group is developing an enormous manufacturing footprint across the southeastern United States.
An 800,000-unit HMGMA would push that strategy to another level entirely.
Trucks and Body-on-Frame SUVs Could Be Next
Hyundai may not be finished expanding American production even after Georgia.
Muñoz has indicated that Hyundai is also examining additional U.S. investment related specifically to body-on-frame trucks and SUVs.
That could become one of the most interesting parts of Hyundai’s American expansion.
The company has already signaled plans for a new American-focused midsize pickup expected before the end of the decade.
Unlike the unibody Hyundai Santa Cruz, a future truck built around a traditional body-on-frame platform could compete much more directly against established midsize pickups.
That potentially puts Hyundai into the same arena as vehicles such as the Toyota Tacoma and Ford Ranger.
A related SUV built on the same architecture would also give Hyundai an entry into America’s lucrative rugged SUV market.
For a manufacturer that spent decades primarily associated with affordable passenger cars and crossovers, that’s quite a transformation.
Hyundai Is Becoming More American-Made
The possible HMGMA expansion also illustrates how quickly the definition of an “import brand” is becoming outdated.
Toyota, Honda, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, Hyundai, Kia and other international automakers already manufacture huge numbers of vehicles inside the United States.
Hyundai is now preparing to push that localization much further.
If HMGMA ultimately reaches 800,000 vehicles annually, Hyundai’s Georgia factory wouldn’t merely be another foreign-owned assembly plant operating in America.
It could become one of the most important automotive manufacturing facilities anywhere in the country.
That’s quite a leap for a factory that started building vehicles less than two years ago.
What This Means for Hyundai Buyers
For consumers, increased American production could eventually affect more than the little sticker inside the driver’s door.
Greater domestic manufacturing could help Hyundai:
- Reduce exposure to vehicle import tariffs
- Increase availability of high-demand models
- React faster to changes in American consumer demand
- Expand hybrid production alongside EVs
- Localize more parts and suppliers
- Support future U.S.-specific trucks and SUVs
It doesn’t guarantee cheaper vehicles. Automakers are still automakers, after all—they’ve never met an MSRP they couldn’t creatively improve upward.
But increasing American production gives Hyundai another tool for controlling manufacturing and logistics costs while reducing dependence on imported inventory.
Hyundai’s Georgia Gamble Is Getting Bigger
When Hyundai announced its Georgia Metaplant, the project was primarily viewed as an enormous investment in America’s emerging EV manufacturing industry.
Only a few years later, the strategy has evolved.
HMGMA is becoming a flexible manufacturing hub for EVs and hybrids, and Hyundai is now considering increasing its capacity to as many as 800,000 vehicles annually.
Meanwhile, Hyundai wants more than 80 percent of its American sales to eventually come from vehicles manufactured domestically.
Add potential American-built body-on-frame pickups and SUVs to the equation, and Hyundai’s U.S. manufacturing strategy starts looking much larger than simply avoiding tariffs.
Hyundai appears to be building an American production network capable of supporting its next generation of vehicles—whatever happens to be powering them.
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