The Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America (HMGMA) in Ellabell, Georgia, which produced its first car in 2024, is a study in superlatives. Its 11 buildings have 7.5 million square feet of space under roof. Though the plant’s current output consists of just two electric vehicles, the Ioniq 5 and 9, it is set to eventually have 10 models (including hybrids and entries from Kia and Genesis) on site, plus a 2.5-million-square-foot LG joint venture battery plant (now under construction), a training center, an ecological park, and much more. In 2025, Hyundai (which has made a $12.6 billion investment in Georgia) said it would expand the plant’s output from 300,000 annually to 500,000. The made-in-Korea Ioniq 6 sedan will not be coming to Georgia, as the model was downgraded and only the 6N performance iteration will be available in the US. The Metaplant complements Hyundai Motor Manufacturing in Montgomery, Alabama, which makes such popular models as the Santa Fe, Tucson, and Santa Cruz, plus the Genesis GV70 and the Electrified GV70. The Alabama facility produces about 360,000 vehicles annually. Hyundai is also building a steel mill in Louisiana. Although the heavily robotized plant currently has 1,623 people directly working for HMGMA, it will have 2,600 when fully staffed, but the total workforce at the 3,000-acre complex, including the many suppliers, will reach 8,500. Salaries average $56,000 annually, which is 25 percent higher than is common in the surrounding area. The highest number of workers (32 percent) come from Chatham County, which includes Savannah. At the time Autoweek visited on April 23, 150 to 175 workers were at the on-site training center, learning core skills, then going on to their intended specialty at the plant. The Hyundai Mobility Training Center is operated by Georgia Quick Start, the state’s workforce development program. “If