Overview
- Samsung SDI said Tuesday it will acquire General Motors’ 49.99% stake in the $3.5 billion Synergy Cells joint venture and convert the New Carlisle, Indiana project into a wholly owned Samsung SDI unit.
- The companies did not disclose the purchase price or a firm timeline for commercial operations, leaving questions about when the plant will begin full production.
- Samsung SDI said it plans to add production lines for batteries for energy storage systems (ESS) at the site and will keep a supply and research link with GM through a joint development agreement on next‑generation prismatic EV cells.
- The original joint venture targeted about 27 GWh a year with mass production aimed for 2027, but construction and equipment installation had slowed after US EV demand softened following the end of a $7,500 federal tax credit.
- Analysts and reporting say the deal fits a wider pattern of automakers reducing direct ownership of battery factories while cell makers repurpose capacity toward stationary storage, a shift that could affect future EV model timing and local jobs tied to the plant.