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Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America
Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America (HMGMA; sometimes HMG Metaplant America or the Hyundai Metaplant[1]) is an electric vehicle (EV) production site operated by Hyundai located in Ellabell, Bryan County, Georgia, United States. The $7.6 billion site is located along Interstate 16 about 25 miles (40 km) from downtown Savannah, with over 16 million square feet (1.5 million m2) of factory floor space. The campus will also produce batteries in a joint venture with LG Energy Solution at an additional, under-construction factory. History and constructionThe land occupied by HMGMA was previously designated by Bryan County as the Bryan County Mega Site. Volvo had considered the area for a new manufacturing plant in 2015, but ultimately built a factory in South Carolina instead.[2] Six years later, with hopes of successfully attracting a large manufacturer or an automaker, the area was purchased in 2021 for $61 million by the state of Georgia, Bryan and Chatham counties, and the Savannah Harbor-Interstate 16 Corridor Joint Development Authority;[a] the deal combined three separately-owned parcels of land. The site lies directly off of Interstate 16, with existing Class I rail links and close access to Interstate 95 and the Port of Savannah.[4] Discussions between Hyundai and government officials began in January 2022.[2] Hyundai announced the $7.6 billion factory in April 2022,[5] and construction on the 2,284-acre (924 ha) site began that October.[4][6] A groundbreaking ceremony held on October 25 was attended by Hyundai CEO and chairman Chung Eui-sun, Georgia governor Brian Kemp, U.S. senators Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, U.S. representative Buddy Carter, and deputy Secretary of Commerce Don Graves.[7] Hyundai was incentivized by provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act.[8][9] Full production at HMGMA began in October 2024;[6] the first model produced was the 2025 Ioniq 5.[6][8][10] Economic DevelopmentHMGMA is the largest economic project in Georgia history.[10] By September 2024, more than 800 workers had been hired to work at HMGMA.[11] According to the economic development agreement between HMGMA, the state of Georgia, the Georgia Department of Economic Development and the Savannah Joint Development Authority, HMGMA has agreed to hire 8,100 people by 2031.[11] The Georgia Department of Transportation has planned several upgrades to surrounding infrastructure, including widening US 280, constructing frontage roads along I-16, and expanding the interchange at Old Cuyler Road.[12][13][14] Around the area, 17 suppliers have announced new factories to support the Hyundai plant, which combined will invest an additional estimated total of $2.7 billion and employ another 7,000 workers;[8] manufacturers include Hanon Systems, PHA,[15] Seoyon E-HWA, and Woory Industrial.[14] Hyundai also is constructing a nearby $4.3 billion battery factory in tandem with LG Energy Solution.[9][16][17] OperationHyundai calls the plant a "Metaplant" and its employees "Meta Pros".[11][8] According to the company, "the prefix 'meta' can mean transformative or transcending. Using those definitions, the Metaplant will transform the definition of what an automotive plant is".[18] According to Hyundai, the factory uses autonomous vehicles instead of conveyor belts to move vehicle bodies.[11] Hyundai expects around 70% of completed vehicles to be shipped by rail via the Georgia Central Railway, and constructed an additional rail siding to handle the volume of autorack cars.[19] The water tower located at the factory site along I-16 features artwork by students from Savannah College of Art and Design.[20] Hyundai plans to reach full production of over 300,000 vehicles per year at HMGMA.[18] ProductsVehicles
ControversiesSafetyA 2024 investigation by Savannah television station WTOC 11 found that during construction of the plant, from April 2023 to July 2024, 53 injuries were reported with 14 of them described as "traumatic"; at least one worker died.[22] The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) opened more than a dozen investigations, and various subcontractors have been sued or fined for safety violations.[22] WaterIn October 2024, the Georgia Environmental Protection Division approved withdrawals of 6.625 million gallons of water per day from the Floridan aquifer, allowing for the drilling of four new wells in Bulloch County.[23][8] This is a temporary solution as Bryan County is legally required to implement an alternative water source for HMGMA within 25 years.[5] See alsoReferences and notes
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