- The site will employ 1,600 people and have an annual capacity of 36 GWh.
- GM originally planned on creating its fourth EV battery factory in the U.S. with LG Chem.
- Samsung SDI is also establishing two battery plants with Stellantis.
After more than 18 months, the joint venture between GM and Samsung SDI to establish a massive EV battery plant in the U.S. is official. Not only will the facility boost the local economy, but it will serve as an important part of GM’s shift to electrification.
GM and Samsung SDI will invest approximately $3.5 billion to establish a battery cell manufacturing plant in New Carlisle, Indiana. This 680-acre site will create more than 1,600 jobs and initially have an annual production capacity of 27 GWh. Production will start in 2027, and capacity will ultimately rise to 36 GWh.
Read: GM And Samsung Joining Forces To Build Massive EV Battery Plant In The U.S.
The site will manufacture NCA-based nickel-rich prismatic batteries to be used in future GM models. Samsung SDI says these batteries are safer than other cells due to their venting system and will improve driving range thanks to their high-density design.
“The SAMSUNG SDI joint venture is the latest example of GM’s commitment to driving innovation in America,” GM chief executive Mary Barra said. “The EV market and GM sales will continue to grow as more customers experience our EVs, the charging infrastructure builds out and we expand into more segments.”
Interestingly, the New Carlisle plant wasn’t always going to be established through a joint venture between GM and Samsung SDI. The initial plan was for the site to be established alongside GM’s other major battery supplier, LG Chem, and it would have served as the fourth joint venture battery plant between the two companies. However, negotiations between the firms fell through, and as GM had already reached a deal with the local county for a development agreement and tax abatements, it needed to find another partner.
GM isn’t the only firm Samsung SDI is working with. The Korean giant is building two battery plants in the U.S. with Stellantis, including a $3.2 billion site in Kokomo, Indiana, that will create 1,400 new jobs and have an annual capacity of 34 GWh.
