ATLANTA – German automaker Audi today announced plans to invest some $4 billion in a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility at the Middle Georgia Megasite, an industrial development property in Peach County, Georgia.
Governor Brian Kemp and Audi CEO Gernot Döllner made the announcement this morning. The new factory is expected to be among the brand’s largest global production footprints and create about 4,500 new jobs.
Audi plans to make premium SUVs for the North American market at the new plant and grow its business in the region. The automaker expects to begin grading in 2027 and construction on the new facility in 2028. While the governor's office said full production is expected to come online in 2031, the automaker forecast a more nebulous “early 2030s.” Production will ramp up to an annual capacity of 200,000 units.
According to Audi of America's second-quarter report, U.S. deliveries dipped 17% year over year — an improvement over the 27% dip the company experienced in Q1. Audi has been hit hard not just by U.S. tariffs, but also the end of EV subsidies in the region.
As the company discussed navigating geopolitical and economic turbulence earlier this year, CFO Jürgen Rittersberger said, "The pace of change in the global environment has sped up significantly—and is having a noticeable impact on our business. Our performance clearly shows that we need to act urgently. We are therefore working on our cost structures and pressing ahead with efficiency measures."
The Georgia facility will be designed around Audi’s future manufacturing requirements, with a focus on efficiency, flexibility and the ability to respond to evolving customer needs and market demand.
“We have much greater ambitions for Audi in America,” Döllner said. “The United States is one of the world's most important premium markets, and we have not yet realized our full potential. We are determined to change that.”
Audi Group also includes the Bentley, Lamborghini and Ducati brands. The company chose Georgia for its speed-to-market opportunities, workforce, access to consumer markets and proximity to an established automotive supply chain.
“The decision by Audi realizes the vision we had for the Middle Georgia Megasite,” said Roy Lewis, chairman of the Mid-Georgia Gateway Joint Development Authority (MGGJDA), a regional partnership between Peach, Houston and Macon-Bibb counties. The Development Authority of Peach County developed and marketed the megasite in partnership with the Mid-Georgia Gateway JDA.
Georgia Quick Start, which provides workforce training, will work with Audi to develop a customized training curriculum and design a designated training facility. It will also partner with local campuses in the state’s technical college system to begin training employees as the facility is constructed.
Founded in 1899, Audi is owned by the Volkswagen group.
