General Motors' fourth electric vehicle battery plant, its first joint venture with partner Samsung SDI, will begin production in 2027, a year later than originally planned.
The automaker and Samsung SDI said they had completed their partnership on August 27 in Seoul. The companies plan to invest $3.5 billion to build a battery cell plant in New Carlisle, Indiana, with an initial capacity of 27 gigawatt-hours per year. When the site was confirmed in June 2023, the plant was expected to open in 2026 with a capacity of more than 30 GWh.
Samsung and GM say the plant, which is expected to create more than 1,600 jobs in northern Indiana, will eventually be able to produce up to 36 GWh of batteries per year.
The New Carlisle plant will produce prismatic cells with lithium-nickel-cobalt-aluminum chemistry that are slightly different from those made at Ultium Cells plants, which are joint ventures between GM and LG Energy Solution. Ultium plants in Ohio and Tennessee produce pouch-style lithium-nickel-cobalt-manganese battery cells, as does a third plant under construction in Michigan.
“The electric vehicle market and GM's sales will continue to grow as more customers embrace our EVs, charging infrastructure matures, and we expand into new segments,” said GM CEO Mary Barra.
GM and Samsung SDI said they are investing in the partnership “to match the pace of the market.” Electric vehicle sales, while growing, have slowed from previous expectations as concerns about pricing and charging availability persist. GM has delayed the start of electric pickup truck production at its second Orion Assembly plant in Michigan until mid-2026. The company also cut its North American EV production forecast for this year by 50,000, now targeting 200,000 to 250,000.
“Prismatic cells will be added to our battery technology portfolio, helping us further improve performance and reduce costs in the future,” Kurt Kelty, GM's vice president of batteries, said in a LinkedIn post.
“The Samsung SDI joint venture is paving the way for our next-generation EVs by providing customers with the latest battery technology, improving EV performance and the ownership experience,” Kelty wrote.