GM and partner Samsung SDI pick Indiana for $3B battery factory

The battery belt — a region stretching from Michigan down into Georgia where the bulk of EV and battery manufacturing is concentrated — has yet another project.

GM-Samsung SDI has picked Indiana for the site of a $3 billion battery cell factory that is slated to begin operations in 2026. Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb made the announcement Tuesday, noting that the factory will be located east of New Carlisle and is expected to create 1,700 manufacturing jobs.

The amount of state incentives, which Indiana indicated will be performance based, has yet to be finalized. St. Joseph County, Indiana Michigan Power, and Northern Indiana Public Service Company have also offered additional incentives.

GM and Samsung SDI announced in April a joint venture to build a battery cell factory. Until today, it wasn’t clear where it would be located.

The battery cell factory will have more than 30 GWh of capacity, enough to bring GM’s total U.S. battery cell capacity to about 160 GWh. The automaker is building out four other battery factories in the United States.

GM previously said the production lines at the plant will build nickel-rich prismatic and cylindrical cells. Prismatic and cylindrical cells are two of the three types of EV battery cells. GM’s Ultium battery platform uses a third style — pouch — for most of its vehicles.

The factory expands on GM’s presence in Indiana, where it already has five facilities, including its Fort Wayne Assembly plant and employs more than 5,700 residents.