Audi invests four billion in US plant: carmaker seals Trump deal

Audi is taking a major step in the United States: the premium manufacturer from Ingolstadt plans to invest around four billion US dollars in its first own US car plant in the state of Georgia. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT The announcement was made on Saturday, 24 October 2026, at a campaign rally held by US President Donald Trump in Perry, Georgia. Trump appeared alongside Döllner and stressed in his speech that his trade policy was encouraging companies to shift production to the United States. The announcement is likely to fit neatly into the battle over the midterm elections on 3 November. Audi chief Gernot Döllner justified the investment in his address by pointing to the company’s long-term ambitions in the US: the American market is one of the most important premium car markets worldwide, he said, but Audi has not yet fully exploited its potential there. Production due to start in the early 2030s Plans call for an annual capacity of up to 200,000 vehicles and around 4,500 jobs. The plant is to be built at the Middle Georgia Megasite in Peach County, near the city of Macon. Georgia was chosen as the location, according to the state authorities, (source in German) among other reasons because of its established supplier industry, transport links and available skilled workforce. The option of expanding the facility at a later date also played a role in the choice. According to the company, preparatory work is scheduled to begin in 2027, with series production to start in the early 2030s. The government of Georgia cites 2031 as the target date for the start of full production. With around 4,500 planned jobs, the project would be a major industrial undertaking for the region. Additional positions at suppliers, logistics companies and service providers would come on top. Large SUVs for the American market The new plant is primarily intended to build large, high-priced sport utility vehicles. Reuters, citing a US government official, reports that the Audi Q7, Q8 and Q9 models are planned. Audi itself speaks of particularly large and upmarket SUVs that will be tailored to the needs of North American customers. The move is strategically significant for Audi, as the company has so far imported its vehicles for the US market from Europe or Mexico. Local production would reduce its dependence on international supply chains and exchange-rate fluctuations. At the same time, Audi would be manufacturing closer to its American customers and strengthening its competitive position against manufacturers with their own US production, the carmaker emphasised in an official statement. Trump claims success for his tariff policy Trump imposed additional tariffs on imports of cars and car parts and repeatedly called on foreign manufacturers to produce more in the United States. For companies such as Audi, this policy increases the cost of imports, making local manufacturing more economically attractive. According to Reuters, Trump’s tariffs cost Audi around 1.2 billion euros last year. However, it cannot be explicitly inferred from this that tariffs alone are responsible for the choice of location: Audi also points to the long-term expansion of its US business, access to the sales market, the existing infrastructure and the regional supplier base. What does this mean for Germany? The decision raises questions for the German sites of the Volkswagen Group. Additional production in the US does not automatically mean that jobs in Germany will be lost, but it does change the geographical distribution of future investment and increases the importance of North America. Audi stresses that Germany and Europe are to remain the industrial backbone of the company and that the existing expertise in development, engineering and production is merely to be complemented by the new site. According to German broadcaster Tagesschau, the IG Metall union broadly welcomes the stronger push into the US market, but at the same time is calling for binding prospects for employees at German locations. The union also says the final decision remains subject to approval by the relevant Volkswagen committees. Georgia: an industrial hub with an automotive tradition Georgia has long been a centre of the American car industry. South Korean carmaker Kia has been producing in West Point since 2009, while Hyundai, also from South Korea, has built a multi-billion-dollar plant for electrified vehicles near Savannah. Added to this are the high-capacity ports of Savannah and Brunswick, through which vehicles and components can be transported internationally. For Trump, the investment would be another trump card in his strategy of bringing more industrial production to the United States. For Audi, it represents a step closer to one of the world’s most important car markets.