Stellantis and SDI EV Battery Gigafactory Begins Construction
Following the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 and the semiconductor shortage of 2021, many automotive groups were in search of new partners and developers to fill in the gaps. Among them, Stellantis and the Hon Hai Technology Group signed contract to produce purpose-built semiconductors to support Stellantis, and then the group moved onto EV development and partnered with LG Energy Solution for EV battery development. Springing for another EV battery production plant here in the USA, Stellantis entered a joint venture with Stellantis and Samsung SDI. Announced a year ago (March 2022), construction has finally begun (March 2023).
“Just under one year ago, we committed to an aggressive electrification strategy anchored by five gigafactories between Europe and North America…Today’s announcement further solidifies our global battery production footprint and demonstrates Stellantis’ drive toward a decarbonized future as outlined in Dare Forward 2030. I am grateful to Governor Holcomb and Secretary Chambers along with Mayor Moore and their teams, as well as to all my colleagues for their support and dedication to bring this operation to Kokomo, a city that holds a rich and long history for our company.” – Carlos Tavares, CEO of Stellantis
Dare Forward 2030 was a business strategy Stellantis shared a year ago (March 2022). Around this time, many automotive groups shared their plans with investors and the press. Just about every automaker has a new plan to introduce battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) into their lineup over the course of the rest of the decade. Stellantis alone wants to dominate the auto industry with more than 75 BEVs planned – 25 of these will be available in the U.S. market.
This kind of goal requires investments in BEV batteries and technology. Already looking at an investment of more than $2.5 billion into the Kokomo plant, Stellantis plans to gradually increase the investment up to $3.1 billion to push development and produce more EV battery cells with Samsung SDI PRIMIX. The automotive group also has a target goal for the plant – an initial annual production capacity of 23 gigawatt-hours (GWh) by 2025, also gradually increasing up to 33 GWh as production grows.
Before production can start, we need construction. Many well-known people in Kokomo, Indiana were present on the occasion and even signed the first steel beam to begin the construction of the BEV Facility. This included members of the JV’s management team, Kokomo Mayor Tyler Moore, President/CEO of the Greater Kokomo Economic Development Alliance Lori Dukes and the group’s Economic Development Advisor Charlie Sparks, former Howard County Commissioner Paul Wyman, and Senior Vice President Business Development with the Indiana Economic Development Corporation Brock Herr.
Stellantis has been slow to enter the industry of BEVs, but many brands have already committed. Starting with the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid, followed by the Jeep 4xe models, like the Jeep Wrangler 4xe and Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe. Ram introduced its first all-electric pickup truck at the 2023 Consumer Electronics Show, the Ram Revolution 1500 Concept, and muscle car automaker Dodge produced seven “Last Call” models to send off the Dodge Challenger and the Dodge Charger as internal-combustion only vehicles. It all ended with the 2023 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170, a true testament to the power we’ll see in Dodge eMuscle and Fratzog cars, starting with the 2023 Dodge Hornet.
At Aventura Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram, we still have plenty of Dodge Challenger and Dodge Charger models of the current generation – internal combustion engines only. Get behind the wheel and feel the difference. Understand why Dodge is still the only true muscle car automaker still kicking it in the auto market. Find a new Dodge Challenger or Dodge Charger at Aventura Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram today.