Hyundai-LGES Georgia plant manages regulatory costs ahead of delayed opening

Hyundai and LGES’ joint gigafactory in Georgia is speculated to start production in H1 2026. Announced in May 2023, the 30GWh facility in Georgia, US is central to localising electric vehicle supply chains. Plans for a 2026 start of production were threatened in September 2025, when more than 300 workers were detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) while investigating the immigration status of site staff. This created a labour shortfall at a critical phase of construction. The workers were held but released soon after, and many have since reacquired visas and returned, allowing progress to resume. The construction has since been resumed with minor delays to the original timeline.