GM plans fourth EV battery plant with new Samsung SDI partnership

According to Governor Eric Holcomb of Indiana, GM is building a new $3 billion EV battery plant in the state in a new joint venture with Samsung SDI. The facility will be its fourth battery plant in the US.

General Motors already has plans for three EV battery factories through a joint venture partnership with LG Energy called Ultium Cells.

Its first, a 2.8 million square ft facility in Warren, Ohio, began producing batteries for the Hummer EV and Cadillac Lyriq last September. GM expanded its partnership, announcing plans for a second similarly sized facility in Spring Hill, Tennessee, next door to where the Lyriq is built.

Production at the second battery plant is scheduled for later this year creating 1,300 new jobs. The third facility, in Lansing, Michigan, is slated to begin production in late 2024 with an annual capacity of 50 GWh.

The partnership expects to have over 130 GWh of EV battery cell capacity when all plants are at full capacity.

Although GM and LG were considering a fourth battery plant location in Indiana, people familiar with the matter said talks between the two were on hold “indefinitely” in January after failing to move forward on negotiations.

GM declined to comment but explained, “We’ve been very clear that our plan includes investing in a fourth U.S. cell plant,” suggesting it could be with another partner.

GM taps Samsung for fourth EV battery factory

Governor Holcomb announced the news on his Twitter, saying:

Happy to announce a joint venture between two landmark companies that will be based here in Indiana. General Motors and Samsung SDI will bring a more than $3 BILLION EV battery cell plant to St. Joseph County, creating 1,700 manufacturing jobs starting in 2026!

The new plant will produce nickel-rich prismatic and cylindrical cells and is expected to help “significantly increase the accessibility and affordability of EVs.” Once complete, the plant is expected to have over 30 GWh capacity, bringing GMs total to over 160 GWh.

GM’s CEO Mary Barra commented on the new partnership, saying:

This joint venture and the 1,700 people there will help supply cells for millions of all-electric vehicles for customers across North America. The strong support of local and state leaders in Indiana and the combined resources and expertise of GM and Samsung SDI will help us move faster than we could on our own.

Construction on GMs fourth EV battery plant is set to begin within the next year, supporting over 1,000 new jobs during the build, and is scheduled to start operations in 2026.