Audi announced its first US assembly plant on October 24, 2026, at a rally President Trump held in Perry, Georgia. The plant will go on the Middle Georgia Megasite in Peach County. Reuters and Gov. Brian Kemp's office, as reported by FOX 5 Atlanta, put the investment at about $4 billion. Trump told the crowd the figure was $4.2 billion. The plant is planned for up to 200,000 vehicles a year and about 4,500 jobs. For Audi Georgia plant suppliers, meaning the tier-1 and tier-2 shops within trucking distance of Fort Valley, the practical question is what to do with the 2027 capex budget. Our answer: start qualifying now, and don't add floor space, presses or cells until the program shows it will hold.
What was announced, and where
According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the site is about 5 miles west of I-75 on the north side of Ga. 96, on the eastern edge of Fort Valley. Coverage had expected the announcement in Macon, about 20 miles away. The state first bought about 1,100 acres there in mid-2022, and officials say the site can grow to about 2,400 acres. Patch describes a 1,474-acre facility site. Bibb, Houston and Peach counties each pledged $7 million to market and improve the site (AJC).
The headline numbers, by source:
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Investment: about $4 billion (Reuters; Gov. Kemp's office via FOX 5 Atlanta). The $4.2 billion figure comes from Trump's rally remarks, reported by Fox Business.
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Jobs: about 4,500 (Audi via Reuters; the state via FOX 5 and WALB). State officials told the AJC the plant will employ "at least 4,500 people when fully built out."
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Capacity: up to 200,000 vehicles a year (Reuters; the state announcement as carried by WALB and WSB-TV).
Suppliers should note Audi's stated reasons for choosing Georgia: "speed-to-market, workforce, market access and proximity to suppliers" (WALB). Audi told Patch that Georgia "combines an investment-ready site, skilled workforce and an established automaker supplier network." The AJC lists the auto projects that make up that network: Hyundai's EV plant near Savannah, Kia's West Georgia plant, Rivian's factory east of Atlanta, and Blue Bird's $300 million plant in Fort Valley.
The real clock: 2028 construction, 2031 production
The sources give three different timelines, and the one you plan around changes when you should spend.
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Georgia's timeline (FOX 5 Atlanta, confirmed by WALB and WSB-TV): "Site preparation and grading are scheduled to begin in 2027," with "facility construction starting in 2028 and commercial production slated for 2031." WALB reports full production in 2031 at 200,000 vehicles a year.
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Audi's timeline (via Reuters): "Construction is scheduled to begin next year, with production starting in the early 2030s."
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Trump's version (Fox Business): construction could begin next month. Neither the state nor Audi has published a schedule that supports this.
Audi's "construction next year" and the state's "grading in 2027" probably describe the same dirt work. The state's schedule is the more detailed one, and it puts vertical construction in 2028. A supplier that adds a bay in 2027 on the strength of a rally speech could carry that space empty for three or four years before the first production part ships. Planning should run off the state's dates.
What suppliers still don't know
Audi CEO Gernot Döllner said: "We are planning to bring our biggest and most premium SUVs and produce them here in Macon, Georgia" (Fox Business). He also called it "a long-term investment because we believe in the American market." Audi has not named specific models. An unnamed US official told Reuters, and Bloomberg separately reported, that the plant will build the Q7, Q8 and Q9. An Audi spokeswoman declined to comment to Bloomberg.
Audi also hasn't said what powertrains the plant will build. The state hasn't released the incentive package either: officials "have not released the total value or breakdown of the state and local tax incentive package" (FOX 5 Atlanta). For a stamper, molder or machining shop, those gaps decide the investment. Tonnage, cell layout, part families and annual volumes all depend on a product mix nobody has confirmed. A shop can't size a press line around a nameplate list that came from an anonymous official.
Precedent 1: this plant has been shelved before
In December 2025, electrive, citing Manager Magazin, reported that Döllner had temporarily taken a standalone Audi US plant off the agenda at the December 12 supervisory board meeting for cost reasons. At the time he was considering building a large SUV at Scout's plant and the Q4 e-tron at VW's Chattanooga plant.
Ten months later the plant is back, and tariffs are the obvious reason. Reuters reports that Audi "imports all its vehicles for the US market from Europe or Mexico" and that Trump's tariffs cost Audi €1.2 billion ($1.4 billion). Bloomberg reports the Mexico-built Q5 is hit especially hard because it doesn't comply with USMCA. A program that came back because of trade policy could slip again if that policy changes or if costs rise. That's no reason to ignore it. It is a reason to tie spending to milestones you can verify.
Precedent 2: Scout Blythewood, the sister program
VW's Scout Motors plant in Blythewood, South Carolina, is the closest comparison, and it's also a separate opportunity for Carolinas shops. Reuters calls it a $2 billion plant. Bloomberg reports VW will expand it, "adding 25,000 units per year of capacity for a model yet to be determined." Assembly Magazine reported that Scout will put another $300 million into a 200-acre supplier park at the site. It will include a just-in-time parts facility, a high-volume battery assembly building and an accessories center, and is expected to support about 1,000 supplier jobs.
The schedule is less certain. Scout says "initial production is targeted to begin in 2027," with deliveries in 2028. Carscoops reported that AutoForecast Solutions expects the Traveler SUV to slip from March 2028 to September 2028 and the Terra pickup to March 2030. Scout said it "has not spoken with AutoForecast Solutions." Whichever forecast turns out right, Scout is the nearer-term VW Group program in the Southeast, and its launch is the best early signal of how the group handles US supplier ramps. Watch whether Blythewood hits its date before you bet floor space on Fort Valley.
Precedent 3: the Hyundai ramp shows suppliers lag the OEM
The Georgia Department of Economic Development lists the Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America milestones: announced May 20, 2022, groundbreaking October 25, 2022, production start October 7, 2024. That's about two years from groundbreaking to first vehicle and about 2.4 years from announcement. Total investment grew from $5.54 billion to $7.59 billion. Hyundai committed to at least 8,500 on-site jobs, plus $2.5 billion and nearly 6,900 jobs at direct offsite suppliers.
Supplier hiring has trailed the OEM. The Current reported in September 2026 that the Metaplant complex had confirmed 4,365 of 8,500 promised hires as of June 2026, against a 2031 deadline. Several incentivized suppliers were well behind on their own commitments:
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Daechang Seat Savannah: 41 of 549 (2029 deadline)
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Seoyon E-HWA: 88 of 500
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PHA: 34 of 403
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Hyundai Mobis Richmond Hill: 416 of 1,578 (2031 deadline)
PHA, Mobis, Seoyon E-HWA and Sewon did not or could not confirm their figures to The Current. Even with that caveat, the pattern holds: the OEM's start-of-production date is not when its suppliers reach full volume. Volume builds over years, and a shop that staffs and tools to full rate on day one pays for capacity the program can't use yet.
What to do now, at low capex cost
Holding capex doesn't mean doing nothing. These steps cost management time and some consulting money, not new buildings:
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Get into VW Group and Audi supplier channels. Register, complete supplier self-assessments and start qualification wherever you can. Qualification takes a long time, and the shops that are already approved will see RFQs first.
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Make your quality system audit-ready. IATF 16949 is the standard customer requirement in automotive. If your certification has gaps or a recertification audit is coming up, fix that in 2027. It costs much less than a new line and the lead time is long.
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Map your spare capacity across current customers. Many Southeast shops already run Hyundai, Kia, BMW, Mercedes or Scout work. Find out which presses, cells and shifts have room you could quote against a European premium-SUV part family. Quoting off existing capacity costs far less than building ahead of an award.
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Get involved in the training pipeline early. WALB reports that Georgia Quick Start will develop training with the Technical College System of Georgia. FOX 5 Atlanta reports the state will design a custom curriculum and build a dedicated training center. An OEM hiring at least 4,500 people will compete with suppliers for the same technicians, so build relationships with those programs now.
Milestones to watch before committing floor space
These are our editorial checkpoints, not dates Audi or Georgia has published. No source has described Audi's sourcing schedule, RFQ timing or supplier-park plans for the Georgia site.
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The incentive agreement is released, along with its job and investment terms. That will show how firmly Audi is committed and on what schedule.
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Audi confirms models and powertrains. Until then, part content can't be sized.
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Vertical construction starts, which is 2028 on the state's timeline. Grading alone doesn't count.
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Tier-1 sourcing awards are announced, and any supplier-park plans for the megasite are published.
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Scout Blythewood's launch date holds or slips. It's the nearest test of how VW Group runs a new US program.
The capex math: an idle bay versus a late quote
Compare two costs. The first is carrying an empty bay or an underused line for two to three years: lease or depreciation, utilities, insurance, and supervisors and maintenance staff hired too early. The second is losing a sourcing award because you weren't qualified or couldn't show capacity. With production planned for 2031 and a model mix still unconfirmed, the first cost is close to certain and the second is not. Our free downtime cost calculator separates lost contribution from incremental recovery costs, and the same logic helps put a price on capacity that sits unused.
There are several ways to stay credible without overbuilding. You can lease space or take a flex lease with expansion options. You can quote off existing capacity and keep a credible expansion plan ready. You can phase tooling so the first tranche covers launch volumes and later tranches follow the program's actual ramp. Bring all of these up with your bank and board now, so financing is ready when an award comes.
Bottom line
Kemp said Georgia is "proud that Audi has selected Georgia as the home of their first U.S. manufacturing facility." Döllner said Audi has "much greater ambitions for Audi in America, and Georgia will play a central role in making them a reality." Both statements may well prove true. Suppliers should still tie spending to milestones, not announcements. Qualify in 2027. Commit capex when sourcing awards and real construction arrive, which on the state's timeline means 2028 at the earliest.
Related reading
Sources
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Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Audi to build Georgia factory near Macon
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FOX 5 Atlanta: Audi to invest $4B in Georgia for first US auto plant
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WSB-TV: New $4 billion Audi plant expected to bring 4,500 jobs to middle Georgia
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Reuters via WTVB: Trump announces Audi will build $4 billion US factory in Georgia
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Bloomberg via Yahoo Finance: Volkswagen plans new Audi plant in Georgia
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Fox Business: Audi announces new plant investment in Macon, Georgia
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electrive: Audi likely to scrap plans for own US plant (December 2025)
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Assembly Magazine: Scout Motors expands facility in South Carolina with $300 million supplier park
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Georgia Department of Economic Development: Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America
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The Current: Hyundai suppliers make hiring progress in exchange for public incentives
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Office of the Governor (2022): Purchase of Middle Georgia Megasite in Peach County