The electric vehicle battery business is believed to continue to grow in line with the electrification trend. Even major electric car manufacturers continue to expand to make battery production facilities in the midst of the current economic pressure. One of them is Stellantis, an electric vehicle manufacturer from the US.
“Stellantis will need four electric vehicle battery plants in North America by 2030,” Stellantis chief operating officer Mark Stewart said at Tuesday, Oct. 18, the Reuters Events auto conference in Detroit.
Stellantis has previously announced two joint-venture battery plants – one in Indiana and the second in Canada, and will need two more plants in the United States, Canada or Mexico.
The first two factories are scheduled to start making electric vehicle batteries in 2025.
“In the second quarter, the third quarter of ’26, if the market continues, we will need a third plant online at the end of ’26, early ’27. We are already in discussions for a No. 3 plant and maybe plant a No. 4. We will need four plants by 2030,” Stewart said.
The first battery plant in Indiana is a joint venture with South Korea’s Samsung SDI, while the Canadian plant will be built with South Korea’s LG Energy Solution.
“Partners for two additional plants are up for discussion,” Stewart said.
Stewart expects deals to create a third and fourth plant to be announced in the second quarter of next year.
Asked if Stellantis was open to workers at the joint-venture battery plant represented by the United Auto union, Stewart said it was up to the workers but the company was open to the idea.
“We welcome the factories into unions,” he said. “We anticipate that possibility.”
Stewart also said Stellantis in the past two weeks decided to nearly double its annual production capacity for its EV delivery vans to more than 200,000 vehicles. Amazon.com is one of Stellantis’ customers for the van.
“It will have more advantages,” he said in explaining the decision. He also added that the 2023 model had sold out in just 13 hours.
Stellantis and Samsung SDI to build JV for EV battery factory in Indiana
