General Motors and Samsung are partnering to build a $3 billion electric vehicle battery cell plant in New Carlisle, Indiana. The new plant will create 1,700 jobs and is Indiana’s most significant EV investment. The facility is expected to produce nickel-rich cylindrical and prismatic cells, which will help General Motors reach its electric vehicle production goals. The plant is also expected to significantly lower the cost and increase the accessibility of buying an electric vehicle.
Photo Courtesy GM
“General Motors’ supply chain strategy for EVs is focused on scalability, resiliency, sustainability, and cost-competitiveness. Our new relationship with Samsung SDI will help us achieve all these objectives,” said Mary Barra, General Motors CEO and General Manager. “The cells we will build together will help us scale our EV capacity in North America well beyond 1 million units annually.”
General Motors is already on track to build at least 400,000 electric vehicles in North America between now and mid-year 2024. The New Carlisle facility is expected to come online in 2026, with an annual production capacity of 30-gigawatt hours. The partnership with Samsung is designed to help each company grow in the sustainable EV space using the latest battery cell technology.
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“We will continue to scale production and optimize the chemistry of our pouch cells for performance, range, and cost using new approaches,” said General Motors Executive Vice President Doug Parks. “The introduction of new cell form factors will allow us to expand into even more segments more quickly and integrate cells directly into battery packs to reduce weight, complexity, and costs. With multiple strong cell partners, we can scale our EV business faster than we could going it alone.”
The Hoosier State hopes the plant will set the state up as a major contender in the growing EV market. The plant will have numerous economic benefits in St. Joseph County and across the region.
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“General Motors has long been one of America’s most iconic brands and deeply rooted in Indiana,” said Governor Eric J. Holcomb. “For decades, Hoosier communities like Marion, Bedford, and Fort Wayne have been part of the production of countless firsts for family vehicles…Today, I couldn’t be more excited to again see GM alongside one of Indiana’s newest world-class companies, Samsung SDI, take this giant leap and make this…commitment that will transform the automotive industry… This historic investment is further proof that Indiana has turned it up and shifted into a higher gear when it comes to helping create the future of mobility and more customer options out on the open road.”
General Motors continues to invest in electric vehicle technology across the state. The company will invest $632 million to expand operations at its Fort Wayne site while adding another half billion dollars to upgrade growing EV production at the Marion facility.“Indiana has long been a global business destination, and our momentum continues as we further build Indiana’s future-focused economy and usher in incredible opportunities,” said Indiana Secretary of Commerce Brad Chambers. “Transformational projects like these not only help bolster Indiana’s economy but enrich the surrounding communities and will directly benefit Indiana residents for decades to come.”