South Korean manufacturer Hyundai Motor Group has announced that the Santa Fe Hybrid and Genesis Electrified GV70 will be built at its Montgomery, Alabama-based US plant, with production of the former scheduled to start in October 2022.

Hyundai Motor Group, the parent firm of Hyundai, Kia and Genesis, has constructed the Alabama plant with a special focus on electrified vehicles (EVs). It is part of the Korean manufacturer’s bigger plan to invest $7.4 billion in the U.S. by 2025 to produce a lineup of EVs and develop smart mobility technologies to cut its carbon footprint.

According to Hyundai Motor North America CEO Jose Muñoz, the Santa Fe Hybrid will be the first electrified vehicle to be produced at the Alabama plant. He also confirmed that the Genesis Electrified GV70 will also be built at the same plant. The Santa Fe’s hybrid version will enter production in October this year, joining the likes of the Elantra sedan, Tucson SUVs, and Santa Cruz Sport Adventure.

In a first phase, an investment of $300 million will be made by the manufacturer to build the Santa Fe Hybrid and Electrified Genesis GV70 at the plant. However, the auto giant didn’t release details about the other electrified cars that will be produced in Alabama.

Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama (HMMA) President and CEO Ernie Kim noted that it was the first step toward bringing production of EVs to the U.S.

In a newly released statement, the top executive said, “Hyundai Motor Company is taking its first steps toward bringing electric vehicle production to the United States. We are excited to showcase our team members in producing electric vehicles here in Alabama.”

The company’s plant expansion projects include everything ranging from additional warehouse space to superior assembly processes to support EV production.

The Genesis Electrified GV70, which is a premium all-wheel-drive (AWD) electric crossover version of the ICE-powered GV70, was first unveiled at the 2021 China (Guangzhou) International Automobile Exhibition. Underpinned by a modified version of the platform used for the ICE-powered GV70 SUV and G70 sedan, the 249-mile-range Genesis Electrified GV70 comes equipped with a 77.4-kWh battery pack that supplies power to two electric motors, each of which produces 160 kW (215 hp) and 350 Nm (258 lb-ft) of torque. Thus, the total system output is 320 kW (430 hp) and 700 Nm (516 lb-ft).