Stellantis, Samsung to expand EV battery manufacturing in Kokomo

FILE – People look at the charging technology from the Jeep Wrangler 4xe at the Stellantis booth during the CES tech show Thursday, Jan. 6, 2022, in Las Vegas. Stellantis says it will build a second U.S. electric vehicle battery factory in a joint venture with Samsung. The automaker didn’t disclose the location but says in a statement Monday, July 24, 2023, that it signed a memorandum of understanding with Samsung SDI under its existing joint venture called StarPlus Energy. (AP Photo/Joe Buglewicz, File)

by: Joe Carroll

Posted: Oct 11, 2023 / 08:26 AM EDT

Updated: Oct 11, 2023 / 08:26 AM EDT

KOKOMO, Ind. (WANE) Stellantis, the maker of Chrysler and Jeep products, is expanding its electric vehicle battery manufacturing presence in Indiana.

The automaker’s joint venture with Samsung involves an investment of more than $3.2 billion to build a second battery plant in Kokomo. The investment is expected to create 1,400 new jobs according to a news release from Governor Eric Holcomb. Once completed, 2,800 people will be employed at the two plants.

“Indiana’s economy is on a roll,” said Gov. Holcomb. “Today’s commitment from Stellantis and Samsung SDI will double the capital investment, the new jobs created, and the impact this joint venture will have on Kokomo and the state of Indiana for decades to come. This decision puts Hoosiers squarely at the center of innovating and developing the future of mobility, catalyzing Indiana’s leadership position in tomorrow’s global economy.”

This will be the second StarPlus Energy gigafactory in Kokomo, growing the joint venture company’s total investment to more than $6.3 billion. The second next-generation electric vehicle manufacturing facility will be built adjacent to the first gigafactory in Kokomo first announced in May 2022, which is currently under construction and targeted to launch in the first quarter of 2025 with an annual production of 33 gigawatt hours (GWh). This second battery manufacturing facility is expected to start production in early 2027 and aims to have an initial annual production of 34 GWh, significantly increasing the joint venture’s U.S. capacity and accelerating Stellantis’ transition to electric vehicles.

Stellantis plans to reach a 100% passenger car battery electric vehicle (BEV) sales mix in Europe and 50% passenger car and light-duty truck BEV sales mix in the U.S. by 2030. To achieve these sales targets, the company is securing approximately 400 GWh of battery capacity. This investment marks that Stellantis is on track to become a carbon net zero corporation by 2038, all scopes included, with single-digit percentage compensation of remaining emissions.