Site Selected Near Under-Construction Plant 1
Total Production Capacity Expanded to 67GWh
Plant 1 Operational in 2025, Plant 2 in 2027
Choi Yoon-ho "Accelerating the Transition to the Electric Vehicle Era"
Battery manufacturer Samsung SDI and U.S. automaker Stellantis are building their second electric vehicle battery joint factory in Kokomo, Indiana.
Samsung SDI and Stellantis announced on the 11th that the second plant of their joint venture, StarPlus Energy, announced last July, will be located on a site near the first plant currently under construction.
The joint venture aims to complete the 'StarPlus Energy Kokomo Gigafactory' with a total production capacity of 67GWh. The first plant has a capacity of 33GWh and is scheduled to start operation in the first quarter of 2025, while the second plant will have 34GWh capacity and is expected to begin operations in early 2027.
Kokomo, where the StarPlus Energy gigafactory will be located, is home to Stellantis' parts manufacturing plant. It is expected to become a forward base for Stellantis' electrification strategy. Earlier, Samsung SDI held a board meeting on the 27th of last month and resolved to invest 2.6556 trillion KRW in the second joint plant. The construction period is from April next year to November 2027.
In May of last year, Choi Yoon-ho, President and CEO of Samsung SDI (left), and Mark Stewart, Chief Operating Officer of Stellantis North America, shaking hands after signing the joint venture investment agreement. [Photo by Samsung SDI]
Choi Yoon-ho, CEO of Samsung SDI, said, "Through the construction of StarPlus Energy's second plant, Samsung SDI has established the largest electric vehicle battery production base in North America," adding, "We hope that Stellantis brand electric vehicles equipped with batteries based on cutting-edge technology will accelerate the transition to the electric vehicle era in the U.S."
Mark Stewart, Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Stellantis North America, said, "Through cooperation with our excellent partner Samsung SDI and the state of Indiana, we have achieved the milestone of establishing our sixth gigafactory in Kokomo," adding, "The Stellantis electric vehicles supplied to North America will play an important role in realizing environmentally friendly, safe, and reasonably priced mobility for everyone."
Eric Holcomb, Governor of Indiana, said, "With this commitment from Stellantis and Samsung SDI, the impact on Kokomo and Indiana will multiply over the coming decades, with investments and jobs doubling," adding, "This investment decision will serve as a catalyst for Indiana to lead innovation and development in future mobility and drive the global economy."
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