Audi will begin construction of its first U.S. factory in Georgia next year, the automaker has confirmed.
Audi CEO Gernot Döllner made the announcement on Saturday at an event in Perry, alongside President Trump, which garnered criticism from its German workers union.
The $4 billion facility is being built nearby, outside Fort Valley. Construction is slated to begin in 2027 and the first vehicles are expected to start rolling out of it in the early 2030s at an annual rate of up to 200,000 vehicles. The factory will produce Audi’s largest Q7, Q8, and Q9 SUVs, which are currently imported from Slovakia and subject to import tariffs.
The plant will be Audi’s first in the U.S. Its VW Group sibling Volkswagen operates a factory in Chattanooga, Tenn., while the group’s new Scout Motors startup is building one in Blythewood, S.C., that is scheduled to begin production in late 2027. Kia and Hyundai both have factories in Georgia and Rivian has one under construction that could open in late 2028. Audi will be able to tap into the supplier industry that has been growing in the region around these and other projects.
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“We have much greater ambitions for Audi in America. The United States is one of the world’s most important premium markets, and we have not yet realized our full potential. We are determined to change that — with premium products, a stronger brand and a competitive local production base. This is about building a stronger Audi business in America — not simply about building a factory,” Döllner said.
Audi’s U.S. sales were down 16% through September to 107,667 units, driven in part by tariff pricing pressure and an aging lineup.
