Stellantis, the Amsterdam-based Euro-American car manufacturer, and Samsung SDI, the South Korean electronics group, announced their second battery gigafactory joint venture under the label StarPlus Energy.
This 34 GWh unit is a follow-up to the first 33 GWh gigafactory in Kokomo in Indiana, scheduled to be completed in the first quarter of 2025. The new North American factory should start producing electric vehicle (EV) batteries in 2027. The location is still to be decided. Total investment will exceed $3 billion.
Stellantis said the new factory will support the group’s electrification plan and carbon neutrality in 2038. Group CEO Carlos Tavares said the new facility will contribute to reaching the aggressive target of 25 new battery EVs for the North American market before the end of the decade.
The strategic plan contains six battery production units with a combined capacity of 400 GWh. Stellantis uses two chemistries, a nickel-cobalt free battery, and a high energy-density nickel-based alternative. From 2026 both batteries will share the same cell-to-pack installation.
Stellantis produces cars under the brands Chrysler, Peugeot, Citroen, Vauxhall, Fiat, Alfa Romeo and Opel in more than 30 countries.
Samsung SDI sees the new project as an important step to accelerate US market penetration. Yoon-ho Choi, president and CEO, said the joint venture will help Stellantis speed up its transition into electrification of the fleet by supplying high quality, safe products.
Samsung has already formed a partnership with US carmaker General Motors to supply nickel-rich prismatic and cylindrical batteries. The new US-based battery cell manufacturing plant will start production in 2026 at a cost of $3 billion. The factory will add 30 GWh of battery capacity, thus increasing GM’s total EV battery capacity to about 160 GWh.