Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America gives update on hires and construction, EV sales up

Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America , lauded as Georgia’s largest economic project-to-date , is gearing up for the start of production this fall.

A lot is taking shape as the company prepares to roll out the first vehicle. EV sales are up, more than 800 employees have been hired and the company is also looking to produce hybrid electric vehicles at the facility.

Here is what to know.

What cars will be produced at the metaplant?

Tuesday, HMGMA unveiled the 2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 at an event at Savannah Hyundai and the company announced it will be the first vehicle manufactured at the metaplant.

Jose Munoz, global president and chief operating officer for Hyundai Motor Company, said on his LinkedIn page that, “Hyundai Motor Group’s EV sales, which consists of Genesis, Hyundai and Kia models, is number 2 in EV sales in the U.S. with 10% of the market.”

The post goes on to provide more details about the company’s future plans, saying they hope to sell 2 million EVs per year by 2030, as well as increase the number of EV models to 21 by 2030.

In addition, Munoz said the company is, “Working to add hybrid production to Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America (HMGMA).”

What is going on inside the facility?

HMGMA’s LinkedIn account provides more insight into what is taking shape inside the facility.

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“Shaping steel into new vehicles quality begins in the stamping shop," a post reads. "Meta Pros use specialized dies to press sheets of steel called 'blanks' into body parts. These massive dies weigh several tons and are moved using an indoor crane. The machines produce more than 6,000 tons of pressure to form roofs, fenders and more.”

A separate post gives details on the next part of the cars’ journey once it leaves the stamping shop and points to the cutting-edge technology used throughout the process.

“After stamping, the vehicle’s journey continues in welding, where our skilled team and cutting-edge tech work hand in hand to assemble vehicle bodies with precision…unlike traditional vehicle manufacturers, HMGMA doesn’t use conveyors. Instead, each piece is transported using Automatically Guided Vehicles or AGVs,” that post explains.

Hyundai's workforce by the numbers

The metaplant will need 8,500 laborers to help manufacture electric vehicles within the Hyundai brand.

According to Bianca Johnson, assistant manager of public relations for HMGMA, the company has hired 861 employees, who are referred to as meta pros, as of Aug. 19. Out of that number, 81% have been hired within a 60-mile radius, leaving 103 as non-Georgia residents. Johnson said the company does not track how many hires are from different countries but said 56 Korean ex-pats are employed at HMGMA.

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. The company is withholding future hiring details at this time, including how many meta pros they plan to hire each year.

“HMGMA has met its needs to begin production with one production line,” said Johnson. “Those Meta Pros are continually training in order to begin production in the fourth quarter of 2024. Additional lines will be added in the future.”

In February, the South Korean automaker announced it would move up the start of production to the fourth quarter of 2024. Construction of the megasite appears to be on pace to do so.

“The majority of the construction to the manufacturing portions of the facility are complete,” said Johnson. “The construction crews are focused on final details in the manufacturing area and the continued construction of the non-manufacturing areas of the facility.”

Latrice Williams is a general assignment reporter covering Bryan and Effingham County. She can be reached at lwilliams6@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America gives update on hires and construction, EV sales up