Hyundai and SK On will partner to build an EV battery factory in Bartow County, Georgia. Investment into the factory will be $4 billion to $5 billion, and they will aim to open the facility by 2025. The site will create around 3,500 new jobs. Packages from these locations will supply Hyundai’s manufacturing plants in the United States.
Hyundai is investing heavily in manufacturing in Georgia. In October, construction is underway at the $5.54 billion factory in Bryan County. Production of Hyundai, Kia and Genesis brand vehicles will start there in the first half of 2025. The production capacity is between 300,000 and 500,000 cars per year.
SK On is the lithium-ion battery subsidiary of SK Innovation. It already has a factory in Commerce, Georgia, which employs more than 2,000 people.
Hyundai intends to launch 11 new EVs by 2030. They include three sedans, six SUVs, a light commercial vehicle, and an unspecified “new type model”. Ioniq Cross 7 is between them and arrives in 2024.
In the near future, Hyundai is preparing to launch the Ioniq 6 electric sedan. It comes with two batteries: 53.0 kilowatt-hours and 77.4 kWh. The single-motor, rear-drive version produces 149 horsepower (111 kilowatts) and 258 pound-feet (350 Nm) or 225 hp (168 kW) of torque in a larger package. With all-wheel drive, the vehicle produces 320 hp (239 kW) of power and 446 lb-ft (605 Nm) of torque. The company estimates a range of 340 miles (547 kilometers), depending on drivetrain configuration.
The Ioniq 5 N is also on the horizon. Hotter versions of the EV are reported to have between 580 hp and 620 hp (427 kW and 456 kW).
Hyundai is also working on a new EV platform for 2025 call Integrated Modular Architecture. These underpinnings are reportedly more adaptable than the current E-GMP setup using a standard chassis, 9 battery systems, and 5 types of modular motors. By 2030, the company projects a version that supports solid-state batteries.