Audi will build its first-ever manufacturing plant in the United States, investing around $4 billion in a new facility in Georgia that is expected to create about 4,500 jobs. The announcement, made on Saturday at a campaign rally in Perry, Georgia, marks a major shift for the German luxury brand, which until now has imported its vehicles into the American market.
President Donald Trump announced the project alongside Audi chief executive Gernot Döllner, calling it a major manufacturing investment in Georgia. Audi said the plant will be located at the Middle Georgia Megasite in Peach County, near Macon, and will produce premium SUVs tailored for North American customers.
The Audi Georgia plant is designed for an annual production capacity of up to 200,000 vehicles. Site preparation is scheduled to begin in 2027, with construction following in 2028 and full production targeted for the early 2030s, according to Audi and Georgia state officials.
What Audi announced
Audi described the project as a long-term commitment to the United States, one of the world’s most important premium car markets. In its official announcement, the company said local production was a key part of a broader strategy focused on customer needs, a stronger brand and a more competitive business model.
“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 — with premium products, a stronger brand and a competitive local production base.”
Audi said it plans to bring its biggest and most premium SUVs to Macon for production. The company did not name specific models in its announcement, but reports have pointed to larger SUV lines as the likely first products from the Georgia site.
Why Georgia won the plant
Georgia officials said the state offered a combination of factors that appealed to Audi: an investment-ready site, a skilled workforce, an established automotive supplier network and strong logistics infrastructure. The Middle Georgia Megasite is a 1,474-acre property along Georgia Highway 96 near Interstate 75, about 90 minutes south of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
Governor Brian Kemp praised the multi-county recruitment effort behind the project. “We are proud that Audi has selected Georgia as the home of their first U.S. manufacturing facility, delivering truly historic investment and jobs to middle Georgia,” Kemp said. He added that the state had purchased and improved the megasite specifically to attract a high-caliber automotive manufacturer.
To support hiring, Georgia Quick Start, the state’s workforce development program, will partner with local campuses in the Technical College System of Georgia. The state plans a custom curriculum and a dedicated training center to prepare workers for assembly, maintenance and advanced manufacturing roles.
The tariff connection
The announcement comes as US tariffs on imported vehicles and parts have reshaped how global automakers think about where to build cars. Trump told the Perry crowd that tariffs had helped bring the investment to Georgia, saying: “Without tariffs, they wouldn’t be coming in.”
Audi is the only German auto brand without a US factory. Its corporate cousin Volkswagen, and rivals BMW and Mercedes-Benz, all produce vehicles in the American South, in some cases for global export. For Audi, building in Georgia would reduce its exposure to import duties and bring production closer to its customers.
That argument is central to the midterm campaign in Georgia, a battleground state where voters will decide a US Senate race and a governor’s race on November 3. Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff is defending his seat against Republican Representative Mike Collins, while Republican billionaire Rick Jackson faces former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms in the governor’s contest.
What the jobs mean for middle Georgia
The headline figure of 4,500 jobs refers to direct employment at the plant. State and company officials expect additional roles to follow among suppliers, logistics firms and service providers in the Macon area and across middle Georgia.
Large auto plants often reshape local economies over decades, bringing new housing, schools and infrastructure spending. They can also strain local services in the short term, as workers move to the area and demand for housing rises. Local officials in Peach, Houston and Macon-Bibb counties, which partnered on the megasite through the Mid-Georgia Gateway Joint Development Authority, will now face those planning questions in earnest.
A long road from announcement to assembly line
Auto industry analysts caution that an investment announcement is not the same as a finished factory. Audi’s own timeline puts full production in the early 2030s, with Georgia officials pointing to 2031 as the target date. Between now and then, the project must clear permitting, construction, equipment installation and supplier contracting.
The move has also been under consideration for at least two decades, according to industry reporting. That history suggests Audi has weighed the costs and benefits carefully, but it also means the Georgia plant will arrive in a very different auto market from today’s — one shaped by electric vehicles, automation and changing trade rules.
Still, the announcement settles a long-running question about where Audi intends to build in America. For Georgia, it is the largest single manufacturing commitment in recent memory. For Audi, it is a bet that American demand for large, premium SUVs will remain strong well into the next decade.
Key facts
- Investment: around $4 billion, with Trump citing $4.2 billion at the rally.
- Jobs: about 4,500 direct jobs at the plant.
- Capacity: up to 200,000 vehicles a year.
- Location: Middle Georgia Megasite, Peach County, near Macon.
- Timeline: site work in 2027, construction in 2028, production in the early 2030s.
Sources: Audi official announcement, The Wall Street Journal, Fox 5 Atlanta, and Georgia state statements, October 2026.