Stellantis, Samsung SDI confirm second battery gigafactory in Indiana

As part of the StarPlus Energy joint venture, Stellantis N.V. and Samsung SDI have announced that Kokomo, Indiana, has again been chosen for the second battery manufacturing facility in the United States. The new battery plant, which will be co-located with the gigafactory currently under construction, is expected to begin production in early 2027 with an annual capacity of 34 GWh. 

"Our battery ecosystem is the foundation of our electrification strategy and our great partners Samsung SDI, the State of Indiana, and the City of Kokomo have created a compelling case for locating our sixth gigafactory in Kokomo," said Mark Stewart, Stellantis COO North America.

"The BEVs coming to our North America brands play an important role in our drive to offer clean, safe and affordable mobility for all and achieve the bold goal of carbon net zero by 2038", he added. 

The joint venture company is investing over $3.2 billion for the new project, with the total investment for both facilities valued about $6.3 billion, creating 2,800 total new jobs in the Kokomo region. The first StarPlus Energy battery facility will come online by the first quarter of 2025 with an annual production capacity of 33 GWh.

Yoon-ho Choi, President and CEO of Samsung SDI, while commenting on the development, said, "Through 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. 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 EVs."

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"The addition of this second battery plant will solidify Kokomo as one of the largest electric vehicle battery producers in North America and shows that Kokomo continues to remain on the cutting edge of advanced automotive manufacturing", said Tyler Moore, Mayor of Kokomo. 

Stellantis is targeting a 100 percent passenger car battery electric vehicle (BEV) sales mix in Europe and 50 percent passenger car and light-duty truck BEV sales mix in the United States by 2030. To achieve these sales targets, the automaker is securing approximately 400 GWh of battery manufacturing capacity in both these regions.