November 26, 2024

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Graphic image of Samsung SDI’s battery joint ventures in the US (Samsung SDI)

Samsung SDI said Thursday it is poised to set up a second electric vehicle battery manufacturing plant with Stellantis in the US state of Indiana.

The production facility will be built by StarPlus Energy, a joint venture of Samsung SDI and Stellantis in the city of Kokomo, next to the JV’s first plant under construction within the region.

The first and second StarPlus Energy Kokomo Gigafactory plants will start operation in the first quarter of 2025 and early 2027 for 33 GWh and 34 GWh capacity, respectively. The two companies have reportedly injected a total of 7.9 trillion won ($5.9 billion) into the project.

The two plants will manufacture prismatic nickel, manganese and cobalt batteries for Stallantis’ plug-in hybrid cars and battery-powered EVs.

Home to Stellantis’ car parts manufacturing base and the joint battery plants with Samsung SDI, Kokomo is expected to be at the forefront of the carmaker’s electrification strategy, according to the battery maker.

“With the second StarPlus Energy plant, the company will be securing the largest production base of EV batteries in North America,” said Samsung SDI CEO Choi Yoon-ho in a statement. “Based on Samsung SDI’s ‘super gap’ technologies, we expect Stellantis’ electric cars to push forward the EV transition in the US.”

Samsung SDI is also constructing another battery plant with General Motors through a joint venture. Scheduled to complete construction by 2026, its annual capacity of cylindrical and prismatic battery cells is projected to be 30 GWh.

By 2027, the company will be operating three battery production sites in the US – two with Stellantis and one with GM – with a total capacity of 97 GWh.

By Byun Hye-jin (hyejin2@heraldcorp.com)