Audi to build its first plant in the US: about $4 billion invested in Georgia

Announcement at a rally in Georgia

US President Donald Trump announced at a campaign rally in Perry, Georgia, on Saturday, October 24, 2026, that the German manufacturer Audi will build an assembly plant in the state worth $4 billion (€3.77 billion). According to Trump, the plant will produce 200,000 SUVs per year. 'Just think: 200,000 cars a year. That's incredible,' he said. The president linked the company's decision to his tariff policy. This was reported by Deutsche Welle.

Project parameters and timeline

The plant will be located at the Middle Georgia Megasite site in Peach County, near the city of Macon. According to the company, preparatory work will begin in 2027, with series production starting in the early 2030s; Georgia authorities name 2031 as the target date for reaching full production volume. Around 4,500 jobs are planned, along with additional employment at suppliers, in logistics and service operations. According to Reuters, citing a US official, the plant will assemble the Q7, Q8 and Q9 models; Audi itself speaks of especially large premium SUVs adapted for North American customers. According to state authorities, Georgia won over competitors thanks to its existing supplier network, transport infrastructure and skilled workforce; the possibility of expansion was also taken into account.

Motives: tariffs or market strategy

Trump imposed additional tariffs on imported cars and auto components and repeatedly called on foreign manufacturers to move production to the US. According to Reuters, the tariffs cost Audi roughly €1.2 billion last year. However, as euronews notes, it cannot be concluded with certainty that tariffs were the only reason for choosing the site: Audi also points to long-term business expansion in the US, access to a sales market, ready-made infrastructure and a regional supplier base. Audi CEO Gernot Döllner, who spoke alongside Trump, explained the investment by the company's long-term ambitions: the US is one of the most important premium automotive markets in the world, but Audi has not yet fully realized its potential there. Until now, the company has supplied vehicles to the American market from Europe or Mexico.

Elections and consequences for Germany

The announcement came ahead of the midterm elections on November 3. Deutsche Welle notes that Republicans are bracing for losses in the vote amid rising prices and the ongoing war in Iran, while Trump is trying to strengthen the position of candidates in a 'swing' state by fulfilling his promise to revive American manufacturing. The decision raises questions about the future of the German sites of Volkswagen Group, which owns Audi: additional production in the US does not automatically mean job cuts in Germany, but it changes the geography of future investments. Audi emphasizes that Germany and Europe will remain the company's industrial foundation. According to Tagesschau, the union IG Metall generally welcomes the strengthened presence in the US, but demands clear prospects for employees at German plants and points out that the final decision still depends on approval by Volkswagen's governing bodies.

The Georgia context

Georgia has long been one of the centers of the American auto industry: Kia has been producing cars in West Point since 2009, Hyundai has built a multi-billion-dollar electrified vehicle plant near Savannah, and the ports of Savannah and Brunswick handle international shipments of vehicles and components. Editorial note: the project matters both for the American labor market and the election campaign, and for Audi, which for the first time gains its own production in the US and reduces its dependence on imports and currency fluctuations; the practical consequences are the creation of thousands of jobs in Georgia and a reallocation of Volkswagen Group investments toward North America. Final approval of the project by Volkswagen's governing bodies has not yet been confirmed.