Hyundai’s first three-row electric SUV, the IONIQ 9, has officially entered production at its massive new EV plant in Georgia. The company held the grand opening on Wednesday at its massive new Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America, where it will build upcoming Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis EV and hybrid vehicles. With the IONIQ 9 now rolling out of assembly, the electric SUV is expected to launch any day.
Hyundai IONIQ 9 in production at new Georgia EV plant
Less than two years after starting construction, Hyundai is celebrating what could be the company’s most important investment so far.
Hyundai’s new EV plant is part of a $7.6 billion investment in Georgia, the state’s largest economic development project to date. It’s expected to create about 8,500 direct jobs by 2030.
However, if you include its battery joint ventures with SK On and LG Energy Solutions and the 18 suppliers that joined in, Hyundai’s new facility has attracted over $12.6 billion in investments. According to the Center for Automotive Research, Hyundai’s investments will create nearly 40,000 jobs in Georgia.
During the grand opening on Wednesday, Hyundai Motor Group executive chair Euisun Chung said, “Together with the talented workforce at HMGMA, we are building the future of mobility with America, in America.”
Chung was joined by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, Hyundai CEO Jose Munoz, and Kia CEO Ho Sung Song, among several others.
The new plant will eventually produce up to 500,000 EVs and hybrids under the Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis brands each year. Initially, it will produce 300,000 vehicles annually. Despite the opening ceremony being held this week, the first model, the new 2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5, rolled off the assembly line in October.
Hyundai upgraded the electric SUV with more range (up to 318 miles), a new interior and exterior style, and an NACS port for charging at Tesla Superchargers.
Hyundai said the IONIQ 9 is now officially in production. The larger SUV is due out this spring, so it should be any day now.
Like the 2025 IONIQ 5, the IONIQ 9 will include an NACS port. It will also pack a massive 110.3 kWh battery, providing an EPA-estimated range of up to 335 miles.
The “lounge-like” interior boasts up to 1,322 liters of cargo space inside, more than Kia’s three-row EV9, which has up to 1,233 liters. At 5,060 mm (199.2″) long, 1,980 mm (78″) wide, and 1,790 mm (70.5″) tall, the IONIQ 9 is slightly bigger than the EV9.
Hyundai will reveal prices closer to launch, but the IONIQ 9 is expected to start at about $60,000, or slightly more than the Kia EV9.
Interestingly, Hyundai said the IONIQ 5 and IONIQ 9 will be joined by the first Kia vehicle built at the facility in 2026. Will it be the EV4, Kia’s first electric sedan?
The opening ceremony follows Hyundai’s landmark $21 billion investment in the US, announced earlier this week. Hyundai will use $9 billion to boost Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis brand output to 1.2 million. Another $6 billion will be used to build a new steel plant in Louisiana.
Meanwhile, GA Senator Jon Ossoff warned in a press conference Wednesday: “The Trump Administration’s war on electric vehicles poses a threat to EV sales, to the EV market, and to the automobile industry in Georgia and across the country.” Killing off federal tax credits will only put the US further behind China and others in the global auto and tech industry.
Source: WTOC, Hyundai
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![This Hyundai IONIQ 5 drove 360,000 miles on its original battery [video]](https://i0.wp.com/electrek.co/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/03/666255km_hyundai.png?resize=1200%2C628&quality=82&strip=all&ssl=1 "This Hyundai IONIQ 5 drove 360,000 miles on its original battery [video]")
