Every Audi sold in the United States has crossed an ocean or a border to get there. That is about to change. Audi has confirmed plans for its first U.S. production plant, and the Audi Georgia factory will rise on the Middle Georgia Megasite in Peach County, near Macon. The company plans to invest about $4 billion, create about 4,500 jobs, and build up to 200,000 vehicles a year, with premium SUVs for North American buyers at the center of the plan.
The announcement came on October 24 in Perry, Georgia, where President Donald Trump revealed the project at a campaign rally and invited Audi CEO Gernot Döllner on stage. Trump put the figure at $4.2 billion, while Audi and the State of Georgia both quote approximately $4 billion.
Why Audi Needed a U.S. Plant
The short answer is tariffs. BMW and Mercedes-Benz have been building SUVs in South Carolina and Alabama for decades, but Audi has imported everything it sells in America. Its best-selling model, the Q5, comes from Audi’s San José Chiapa, Mexico, plant, and most other models arrive from Europe. According to Carscoops, tariffs cost Audi $1.4 billion last year alone, and Audi’s deliveries in the U.S. and Canada fell 12.2 percent in 2025.
That puts Audi at a clear disadvantage against its German rivals. Mercedes, for example, builds the GLE, GLS, and even the new Maybach GLS in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, where recent investments will raise annual capacity to 340,000 vehicles. Audi has been evaluating a U.S. site for well over a year. Now it has picked one.
What the Audi Georgia Factory Will Build
Audi has not officially named the models yet, only saying the plant will build cutting-edge premium SUVs for North American customers. Reuters reports the lineup will include the Q7, Q8, and the all-new Q9, while Bloomberg names the Q9 and the Q5. The Q9 was on display at the rally, which is a fairly strong hint.
Revealed in July 2026, the Q9 is Audi’s first full-size SUV and its largest model ever, measuring 5.31 meters (209.1 in) long with seating for up to seven and power-operated doors, a first for the brand. It is currently being built in Bratislava, Slovakia, and North American buyers will get it with a 429-hp twin-turbocharged V6. Building it in Georgia would put Audi’s flagship right next to its biggest market. Separately, reports suggest Audi could also build up to 25,000 vehicles a year at Scout’s planned South Carolina factory.
Grading in 2027, Full Production in 2031
This is a long-term project. According to the State of Georgia, Audi expects to begin grading the site in 2027, start construction in 2028, and reach full production in 2031 at an annual capacity of 200,000 units. Audi says the site will be among the largest production footprints in its global network, adding North America as a third major production pillar alongside Europe and China. The Audi Group currently builds vehicles at 21 production sites in 12 countries.
Döllner said Audi has much greater ambitions in America and has not yet realized its full potential in one of the world’s most important premium markets. He framed the plant as part of building a stronger Audi business in the U.S., “not simply about building a factory.” Gerd Walker, Audi’s board member for Production and Logistics, added that a clean-sheet plant lets the company rethink manufacturing from day one, with flexible processes, advanced technology, and a strong local supplier network.
Why Middle Georgia Won
Audi cited speed to market, workforce, access to consumer markets, and proximity to an established automotive supply chain. Peach County and the Mid-Georgia Gateway Joint Development Authority, a partnership between Peach, Houston, and Macon-Bibb counties, developed the Middle Georgia Megasite, which comes with industrial utilities next door and completed due diligence.
The logistics are strong, too. The Port of Savannah and the Port of Brunswick are both reachable by rail in under five hours; the site has access to Norfolk Southern Class I rail, and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is about a 90-minute drive away. Georgia Quick Start will develop a dedicated training facility and a customized curriculum with Audi, working with local technical colleges to start training employees while the plant is under construction.
Four Rings, Made in Georgia
This is one of the biggest strategic shifts in Audi’s recent history. For years, the brand has competed in America with one hand tied behind its back, paying to import every car while BMW and Mercedes built locally. A Georgia plant building large SUVs like the Q9, Q7, and Q8 would finally close that gap and give Audi the cost base and supply speed it needs to grow.
The catch is time. Full production is still five years away, and a lot can change in trade policy before 2031. Audi is clearly betting local production will pay off regardless, and with SUVs making up the bulk of premium sales in the U.S., the logic is hard to argue with.
For a more detailed look at the Audi Q9, the flagship SUV reportedly headed for production in Georgia, see the media gallery below.
Source: Carscoops: Audi Will Invest $4 Billion To Build A Factory In Georgia (October 25, 2026; tariff cost, Mercedes Alabama capacity, Scout plant report)
