Hyundai Motor Group, LG Energy to build US$4.3 billion EV battery plant in US

SOUTH Korea’s Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solution (LGES) will build an electric vehicle (EV) battery plant in the United States with a combined investment of US$4.3 billion, the companies said on Friday (May 26).

Starting construction in the second half of 2023, the Hyundai-LGES plant in Georgia plans to start battery production at the end of 2025 at the earliest.

It will have an annual production capacity of 30 gigawatt-hours (GWh), enough to support the production of 300,000 EVs each year, Hyundai and LG said in their statements.

Hyundai Motor Group, which houses Hyundai Motor and Kia, and LGES will hold a 50 per cent stake each in the joint venture.

The move follows new US sourcing requirements for EV battery components and critical minerals in order for car buyers to qualify for up to US$7,500 in credits under the Biden administration’s Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).

Cars made by Hyundai and Kia are currently not eligible for the tax credits. REUTERS