Audi will build its first U.S. factory in middle Georgia, President Donald Trump announced Saturday at a campaign rally in Perry, Ga. The German automaker says the plant will cost about $4 billion and employ about 4,500 people.
Trump told the crowd that Audi “has just committed to invest $4.2 billion in nearby Macon, Georgia” on a plant that will build 200,000 cars a year, One America News reported. Audi CEO Gernot Döllner joined him on stage.
What Audi and Georgia announced
The plant will sit on the Middle Georgia Megasite in Peach County, Gov. Brian Kemp’s office said. Peach, Houston and Macon-Bibb counties market the site through a joint development authority.
- Investment: About $4 billion, according to Audi and the governor’s office. Trump put the figure at $4.2 billion.
- Jobs: About 4,500.
- Vehicles: Premium SUVs built for North American buyers, with capacity for up to 200,000 a year.
- Timeline: Site grading in 2027 and construction in 2028, with full production expected in 2031, the governor’s office said.
“This is about building a stronger Audi business in America — not only about building a factory,” Döllner said in an Audi news release on Sunday. The company said the site would make North America the third main pillar of its production network, alongside Europe and China.
The campaign backdrop
Trump made the announcement while campaigning for U.S. Rep. Mike Collins in the Senate race and Rick Jackson for governor, nine days before the Nov. 3 election. His administration has used tariffs to push automakers and other manufacturers to build in the United States.
Audi is owned by Volkswagen Group, which already builds vehicles in Chattanooga, Tenn.
