Stellantis and Samsung SDI are building a battery factory in Indiana, United States. The plant will be built at approx 80 kilometers north of Indianapolis,.a Kokomo. The “first brick” is scheduled for this year, with production starting in 2025. Initially the production capacity should be 23 gigawatt hours, subsequently it will reach up to 33 GWh.
“We would like to thank our partner, Stellantis, for his continued investment, support and trust in this community for over 85 years”, said Tyler Moore, Mayor of Kokomo. “We would also like to thank Samsung SDI for the trust placed in us and look forward to working together for decades to come. This multi-billion dollar investment will help consolidate Kokomo as a global leader in automotive manufacturing. ”
In the new American plant approximately 2.5 billion dollars will be invested. However, the amount could gradually increase to a whopping 3.1 billion dollars. The new facility will supply battery modules “for a range of vehicles manufactured at Stellantis North American assembly plants.” The auto group does not disclose any other details. But the start of production “after 2025” means that the batteries will likely be used for models developed on the STLA platform. Among these we wouldn’t be surprised if US brands such as Dodge, Ram, Chrysler e Jeep.
“A little less than a year ago, we engaged in an aggressive electrification strategy anchored in five giant factories between Europe and North America”, said Carlos Tavares, CEO of Stellantis, towards a decarbonised future outlined in Dare Forward 2030 ″.
Carlos Tavares, CEO of Stellantis
Samsung SDI, its cells for the batteries of future Stellantis vehicles
Samsung SDI Wants To Build Its “PRiMX” Battery Cells in the new factory, unveiled at the end of 2021. The abbreviation stands for “Prime Battery for Maximum Experience”. The cells have a nickel-rich cathode and a silicon anode, according to Samsung SDI in its press release. The Korean company talks about advantages which include high reliability and safety, as well as extremely fast charging and low internal resistance.
Stellantis’ new Kokomo plant, which is expected to start production in 2025, will have an initial annual production capacity of 23 gigawatt hours (GWh), with the aim of increasing to 33 GWh in the next few years
The battery capacity of around 400 GWh (according to Stellantis information) should come from five “proprietary” plants but also from other suppliers.
To date, a battery plant in Canada (together with LG) and three plants in Europe managed by the ACC joint venture are active: one in France, one in Germany and one in Italy.