Kia’s got some big plans, y’all! They’re fixin’ to invest a cool $200 million in their assembly plant down in Georgia, USA. Why, you ask? Well, they’re gettin’ ready to roll out their brand-spankin’ new electric SUV, the EV9, in 2024!
The folks at Kia reckon this move will create ’round about 200 new jobs at their West Point plant. And get this—it’s gonna be the first electric vehicle from Kia to be put together right here in North America! They’re hitchin’ a ride on the electric wave, as more and more carmakers are movin’ away from them ol’ gas guzzlers.
Now, here’s the deal—puttin’ together these electric rides in North America is mighty important. You see, the U.S. government’s got this here law that says if a vehicle’s gonna be eligible for them fancy $7,500 consumer tax credits, it’s gotta be assembled right here. This law came about with the $430 billion Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) signed back in August 2022.
And Georgia’s become a real hotspot for electric vehicles and batteries! Just look at what’s goin’ on—Rivian Automotive’s settin’ up a whoppin’ $5 billion plant in the state. Hyundai Motor Group and SK On, they’re teamin’ up too. They’re buildin’ a brand-new battery manufacturing plant right there in Georgia to supply Hyundai’s assembly plants in the U.S. And they’re aimin’ to get things rollin’ by 2025. They reckon it’s gonna bring in a whole lotta dough—somewhere between $4-5 billion—and create a heap of new jobs, ’round about 3,500, give or take.
But wait, there’s more! Hyundai’s got big plans of their own. They’re breakin’ ground on a massive $5.54 billion EV and battery plant over in Bryan County, Georgia. They ain’t messin’ around!
And let’s not forget about SK Innovation. They’re already up and runnin’ with their fancy $2.6 billion battery plant in Commerce, Georgia. Those batteries they’re makin’? They’re goin’ straight into the Ford F-150 EV. How ’bout that?
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, he’s mighty proud of all this. He says folks have invested a jaw-droppin’ $22.7 billion in the state’s electric vehicle supply chain since 2020. And you know what? They’ve created over 28,400 jobs along the way. That’s somethin’ to celebrate, y’all!
So there you have it. Kia’s joinin’ the electric vehicle party with their EV9 SUV, bringin’ jobs and investment to Georgia. Looks like the electric future is brighter than ever, and it’s right here on American soil. Yeehaw!
