"Respect the chutzpah": Ossoff, Kemp clash over new Hyundai plant
New facility to attract more than 3,000 jobs
A major multibillion dollar investment could bring thousands of new jobs to Georgia.
Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solutions announced late Thursday night that they will be building a new electric vehicle battery plant near Savannah.
The facility, which will be built in Bryan County, is set to cost roughly $4.3 billion and could attract more than 3,000 new jobs. The plant is set to be up and running by the end of 2025.
U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA) made the announcement Thursday night, calling the news “another huge win for Georgia.” In April, the Senator led a trade mission to South Korea, where he met with executives from both companies. He says that deals like this are possible because of manufacturing incentives in the Inflation Reduction Act, which was passed by congressional Democrats last year.
“When I led a trade delegation to South Korea last month, securing this LG-Hyundai battery investment to Georgia was a key goal. The IRA’s manufacturing incentives continue to bring jobs and investment to Georgia,” Sen. Ossoff said in a statement. “My goal remains to make Georgia the world leader in advanced energy production. I thank LG Chairman Koo Kwang-mo, LG Energy Solutions President David Kim, Hyundai Chairman Chung Eui-sun, Senator Reverend Warnock, and all local and state officials who made [this] historic announcement possible.”
Republican Gov. Brian Kemp’s office is also taking a victory lap. But they are saying that this new project is part of a deal that was made before the IRA was passed. Last year Hyundai announced plans for a new electric vehicle plant, also in Bryan County. (Both Kemp and Ossoff attended the groundbreaking ceremony for this new facility.)
“This is exactly what we envisioned when Georgia landed the Hyundai metaplant in May of last year, and this project is the latest milestone in Georgia’s path to becoming the EV capital of the nation,” the governor said in response to this week’s news.
Kemp’s top aide chastised Ossoff for taking credit for the deal. “On the one hand, you have to respect the chutzpah,” Cody Hall said on social media. “LG is coming to Georgia because of the Hyundai facility that [Gov. Kemp] recruited. Period.”
It is the biggest split to date between the two leaders. Don’t expect it to die down any time soon, especially as the term-limited Kemp eyes a challenge to Ossoff in 2026, when the Democrat will be up for re-election.
Both Kemp and Ossoff agree that electric vehicle manufacturing will play a vital role in Georgia’s economy going forward.