Hyundai SK Battery Manufacturing America (HSBMA), the strategic US battery joint venture formed by industry leaders SK On and Hyundai Motor Group, has officially commenced mass production. This significant milestone sees HSBMA already supplying EV batteries to Hyundai’s electric vehicle manufacturing facility in Georgia, as reported by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Established in 2023 through a substantial $5 billion joint investment from SK On and Hyundai Motor Group, HSBMA’s state-of-the-art plant is a cornerstone of their US electrification strategy.
Strategically situated in Bartow County, Georgia, the advanced manufacturing facility initiated mass production in June. It has since begun crucial deliveries of its EV batteries to the Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America, located in Savannah, bolstering the domestic EV supply chain.
This expansive facility covers approximately 3 million square meters and supports a robust workforce of around 3,500 employees. Upon reaching full operational capacity, the Bartow County plant is projected to achieve an annual production of 35 gigawatt-hours of high-performance EV batteries, sufficient to power an estimated 300,000 electric vehicles each year.
An HSBMA spokesperson conveyed to the Georgia-based news outlet, “We are currently in the initial phases of battery production and are fully committed to continuously expanding our output to meet growing demand.”
The state of Georgia played a pivotal role in attracting this significant manufacturing investment, providing approximately $641 million in comprehensive tax incentives and various financial support packages.
Hyundai Motor Group has outlined that the advanced battery cells produced at HSBMA will undergo assembly into complete battery packs by Hyundai Mobis. These integrated battery packs are then destined for use in a range of Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis electric vehicles, all manufactured within the United States, reinforcing domestic production.
This cutting-edge facility significantly solidifies Georgia’s emerging reputation as a vital hub for the burgeoning Korean battery industry in North America. The state already boasts SK Battery America, another major player actively manufacturing EV batteries and critical battery components.
In a related development, Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solution are concurrently constructing an additional battery manufacturing plant in close proximity to the Metaplant. However, progress on this particular project has faced delays following the detention of a substantial number of Korean workers at the site by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
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