Stellantis and Samsung SDI announced that another StarPlus Energy battery plant will be built in Kokomo, Indiana.
Stellantis and Samsung SDI recently announced the joint venture’s plans for a second StarPlus Energy gigafactory in Kokomo. The joint venture’s second battery plant is expected to start production by early 2027 with an annual capacity of 34 gigawatt hours (GWh).
“Through [the] construction of the second battery plant of StarPlus Energy, Samsung SDI will be establishing its largest production base for electric vehicle batteries in North America,” said Yoon-ho Choi, President and CEO of Samsung SDI. “We expect Stellantis brand vehicles powered by Samsung SDI batteries featuring supreme technologies to contribute to accelerating the U.S. transition to an era of electric vehicles.”
In 2022, Stellantis and Samsung SDI invested more than $2.5 billion in a joint venture for a lithium-ion battery plant in the United States. The joint venture would help Stellantis achieve its goals for electrification in North America. The collaboration between Stellantis and the South Korean battery supplier led to the contraction of the first StarPlus Energy gigafactory, a battery production plant in Kokomo, Indiana. The first StarPlus Energy battery facility is expected to start operations by the first quarter of 2025 with an annual production capacity of 33 GWh.
After announcing its second battery plant in Kokomo, the legacy automaker and Samsung SDI also stated it would invest over $6.3 billion in both facilities. The StarPlus Energy plants are slated to generate 2,800 new jobs in the area.
Stellantis has six battery facilities worldwide to support its electric vehicle production goals. Besides Samsung SDI, the company also entered a joint venture with Foxconn to create SiliconAuto to design and sell semiconductors for electric vehicles. The legacy automaker aims to release a $27,000 battery electric vehicle (BEV) by 2024 under the Citroen brand.
Samsung SDI is also increasing its investments in North America. It has also partnered with General Motors on a $3 billion EV battery plant in the United States. And last month, the Asian battery manufacturer announced it would expand its Michigan facility to double EV cell production.
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