Higher investment means Hyundai could get $2.1 billion in aid to make electric cars in Georgia

The Hyundai company logo hangs over a long row of cars at a car dealership in Centennial, Colo., Sunday, Dec. 20, 2020. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)

The state of Georgia and local governments are on track to give $2.1 billion in tax breaks and other incentives to Hyundai Motor Group after the South Korean automaker and a partner announced last month that it will invest an additional $2 billion at an electric vehicle complex it’s building in Georgia.

Associated Press calculations show projected incentives will rise by more than $290 million from the $1.8 billion deal originally announced last year. Only $2.75 million of that represents additional cash from the state. The rest will come from increases in tax breaks.

The deal calls for Hyundai and battery maker LG Energy Solution to invest $7.6 billion in the Georgia plant and hire 8,500 workers by the end of 2031. That’s up from the original job projection of 8,100 at the sprawling electric vehicle and battery complex being built in Ellabell, west of Savannah.