Samsung SDI is pressing ahead with the unfinished Samsung SDI New Carlisle battery plant in northern Indiana, and St. Joseph County is still waiting to hear what that means in practice. According to WSBT 22, the joint venture site near New Carlisle changed hands on August 11, 2026, when Samsung announced it would take over the plant that General Motors helped plan. No completion date has followed.
The pause came first. GM stopped construction in May, citing softer EV demand, and local officials spent the summer asking what would happen to a site once billed as one of the largest private employers in the county. The takeover answered part of that question and left the rest open. For a broader look at the demand picture behind this decision, see our reading of the struggling EV market and its three new models.
This analysis separates what outlets have confirmed from what remains unclear as of October 24, 2026. It covers the plant’s origins, the ownership change, the county’s position, the jobs question, and five predictions for the months ahead. Where a detail comes from a single report, we say so.
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What Is Confirmed About the Samsung SDI New Carlisle Battery Plant
The core facts come from the 2023 announcement and from reporting since. The Indiana Economic Development Corporation and Area Development described a General Motors and Samsung SDI joint venture to build an EV battery-cell plant in St. Joseph County, east of New Carlisle, at Larrison Boulevard and Indiana 2. The announced investment was more than $3 billion, and the companies promised 1,700 manufacturing jobs.
The plan called for nickel-rich prismatic and cylindrical cells, with production targeted for 2026. Reports from the time put the selected site at 656 acres, with a planned facility of 2.5 million square feet. The companies said construction would start within a year of the June 13, 2023 announcement.
Those 2023 numbers describe the original plan, not today’s plant. Production in 2026 looks unlikely, since WSBT reported in August that the building is still under construction and that no finish date is known. Our reading: treat the 2023 figures as the baseline, and treat anything newer as reported but unconfirmed until Samsung SDI publishes a schedule.
How the GM and Samsung SDI Joint Venture Got Here
The site did not begin as a GM project. Bill Schalliol, executive director of economic development for St. Joseph County, described the early history to Inside INdiana Business. In his telling, there was a partnership, then a split, and Samsung entered after that. He said, “And then there was a little divorce, a little separation, and then Samsung was brought into the picture.”
By June 2023 the structure was settled. GM and Samsung SDI would run the plant together, and Indiana called it the largest EV investment in state history. The timeline since then shows how fast conditions shifted.
| Date | Event | Source |
|---|---|---|
| June 13, 2023 | GM and Samsung SDI announce a plant worth more than $3 billion with 1,700 planned jobs | Indiana Economic Development Corporation |
| May 2026 | GM pauses construction, citing weaker EV demand | South Bend Tribune, WSBT 22 |
| August 11, 2026 | Samsung announces it will take over the site and co-develop prismatic batteries with GM | WSBT 22, WardsAuto |
| September 2026 | Local coverage describes both uncertainty and a decision to move forward | South Bend Tribune |
| October 24, 2026 | No new completion date or revised production start confirmed | Tech Insider review of available reports |
Why GM Stepped Back From the Plant
WardsAuto reported that GM’s exit tied back to market changes since 2023, including slower EV demand that pushed the automaker to revise its electrification strategy. WSBT 22 added a policy angle. Jeff Rea, president of the South Bend Regional Chamber, told the station that the project fell into limbo once federal tax credits disappeared in Washington, which left the building’s future unclear.
That pattern repeats across the industry. Automakers sized battery capacity for a faster EV ramp than buyers delivered. GM has since turned attention to speeding up how it builds vehicles, a shift we covered in GM’s push to cut vehicle builds to two years with AI. Spending that capital on development speed rather than idle cell capacity fits the same logic.
GM did not vanish from the story. Reports say the two companies will keep working together under a joint development agreement for prismatic batteries aimed at possible future GM electric vehicles. So the relationship changed from co-owner to technology partner, not from partner to stranger.
What Samsung SDI Plans for the Site
WardsAuto reported that Samsung SDI acquired GM’s entire 49.99% stake in the venture, according to a company press release dated August 11. That leaves Samsung SDI with full ownership, and the outlet described the facility as the company’s first wholly owned factory in North America. Samsung’s own announcement said it was ready to use the location in a fast-growing market.
The product mix may change. WardsAuto reported that Samsung SDI plans to make stationary energy storage system batteries at the plant, along with other high-tech batteries. WSBT 22 noted the prismatic format serves EVs, residential solar storage systems, and consumer electronics. That is a wider net than the EV-only pitch of 2023.
Storage is a sensible pivot on paper, and other battery players are chasing the same business. Our breakdown of Tesla’s Q3 numbers, including 13.7 GWh of storage shows how much weight that business now carries for one large player. Whether Samsung SDI can fill a 2.5-million-square-foot plant with storage orders is the open question.
Production equipment is the missing piece
One research summary we reviewed said production equipment had not yet been installed at the site. We could not verify that detail against a second named outlet, so treat it as a report, not a finding. It does match the broader message that the building is under construction and not yet making cells.
What St. Joseph County Is Waiting For
County leaders have said little beyond cautious optimism. St. Joseph County Council Member Joe Thomas told WSBT 22 he was glad the building would not sit empty, and he hoped the development would help the community while keeping New Carlisle and Olive Township residents a priority. That is a hope, not a schedule.
The county’s wait has three parts. Officials want a construction timeline, a hiring plan, and clarity on how the original incentive terms apply to a new owner. None of those has appeared in the reports available to us. Carl Baxmeyer, president of the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners, said in 2023, “St. Joseph County is deeply appreciative that General Motors and Samsung SDI have selected our community for its EV battery plant.” Three years on, the community is still waiting for the plant to open.
South Bend Tribune coverage in September ran two tones. One story described an uncertain future without GM. A later one said Samsung SDI would move forward with the plant. Both can be true: the owner intends to proceed, and the details remain unannounced.
The 1,700 Jobs Question
The headline number from 2023 was 1,700 manufacturing jobs. WSBT 22 reported that Rea expects a similar count at full operation because of the property’s size, and that the plant was once slated to rank among the county’s top five private-sector employers. Those are expectations from a local booster, not commitments from Samsung SDI.
A storage-focused plant could employ a different number of people than an EV cell plant, depending on line design and automation. Samsung SDI has not published a revised headcount. Until it does, the 1,700 figure should be read as the original target. Some research summaries also mention October reports of construction pullbacks and layoffs at the site. We could not confirm those details with a named outlet, so we are not treating them as established.
Local governments have good reason to want hard numbers. Tax breaks for large industrial projects usually rest on job and investment targets. A similar debate played out around Texas, where our report on Fort Bend County’s 35-year tax breaks for Tesla’s solar plant shows how long counties tie their budgets to a factory’s promises.
Voices From the Companies and the County
The verified record includes a few on-the-record statements, mostly from the 2023 launch. They show the original ambition and the optimism that has since been tested.
- Yoonho Choi, President and CEO of Samsung SDI, said in the state’s June 2023 announcement: “Through establishment of a battery joint venture with GM, we are grateful that Samsung SDI can contribute to boosting the economy of Indiana and creating new jobs here.”
- Yoon-ho Choi, CEO of Samsung SDI, said in a company statement on the GM agreement: “Building on last year’s partnership with GM, the No. 1 automaker in North America, we have established a premium battery production hub to lead the U.S. EV market.”
- Bill Schalliol, executive director of economic development for St. Joseph County, told Inside INdiana Business: “And then there was a little divorce, a little separation, and then Samsung was brought into the picture.”
- Carl Baxmeyer, president of the county commissioners, said at the 2023 announcement: “St. Joseph County is deeply appreciative that General Motors and Samsung SDI have selected our community for its EV battery plant.”
Read together, the quotes show a plan built on a two-company partnership that no longer exists in its original form. The “premium battery production hub” language now describes a single-owner site with a revised product mix.
Competitive Comparison: Indiana’s Battery Plant Race
New Carlisle is not Indiana’s only big battery bet. Stellantis and Samsung SDI announced a joint venture in May 2022 to invest over $2.5 billion in an EV battery plant in the state, and Inside INdiana Business later reported Stellantis would put $3.2 billion into a second Kokomo plant. Samsung SDI sits on both sides of that map, which gives it local leverage and local exposure.
| Project | Announced investment | Partners | Status in reports |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Carlisle, St. Joseph County | More than $3 billion | GM and Samsung SDI, now Samsung SDI as owner | Under construction, no date set |
| Kokomo, first plant | Over $2.5 billion | Stellantis and Samsung SDI | Announced May 2022 |
| Kokomo, second plant | $3.2 billion | Stellantis | Reported by Inside INdiana Business |
The table shows investment announcements, not current output. We did not find fresh status data for the Kokomo plants in the sources we checked, so the status column reflects what each report says, nothing more. The point is scale. Indiana tied a large share of its manufacturing future to battery cells, and every one of those bets now depends on EV demand or a substitute market.
Market Impact for Battery Makers and Automakers
The New Carlisle takeover points to a new playbook. Automakers shed capacity risk, and cell makers keep the factory and look for demand elsewhere. Samsung SDI takes the larger share of the balance sheet exposure but gains control over the product mix, which now includes storage.
For GM, the deal trims fixed commitments while preserving access to prismatic cell technology. For rivals, it sets a precedent. Tesla also trimmed its spending recently, as we reported in Tesla’s cut to $20B in capex, and other automakers face the same math on battery plants built for a steeper EV curve.
Suppliers feel it next. Equipment vendors, construction firms, and materials producers all planned around a 2026 start. A slower site pushes their revenue out and raises the odds of renegotiated contracts. The wider materials chain is already moving, as seen in Thailand’s $690M AI and EV materials draw.
What Is Confirmed and What Is Not
| Claim | Status | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Plant planned in St. Joseph County near New Carlisle | Confirmed | 2023 state and trade announcements |
| More than $3 billion investment, 1,700 jobs | Confirmed as 2023 targets | Indiana announcement, Area Development |
| Samsung taking over the site | Confirmed | WSBT 22, WardsAuto, Samsung release |
| GM exit stake of 49.99% | Reported | WardsAuto citing Samsung SDI release |
| Storage batteries as first product | Reported plan | WardsAuto |
| Completion date or revised production start | Not confirmed | WSBT 22 says unknown |
| Revised investment total and job count | Not confirmed | No new figures published |
| Layoffs at the site in October | Not confirmed | Single-source summaries only |
The headline claim that the plant “will move forward” holds in a limited sense. The owner says it intends to use the site, and local reports back that up. But the 2023 announcement alone does not establish it, and no new official schedule exists.
Five Predictions for the Plant
These are our forecasts, not reported facts. Each rests on the evidence above.
- Samsung SDI names a construction target within six months. The county and the state both need a date, and a single owner can decide faster than a two-party venture.
- Energy storage leads the first production lines. WardsAuto already reported that plan, and the product fits the site without waiting on EV volumes.
- The headline job figure gets revised. A product-mix change almost always shifts headcount, so expect a new number in either direction.
- The GM prismatic agreement shapes future EV orders, not the 2026 ramp. Any GM volume depends on new vehicle programs that have not been announced.
- County officials seek written confirmation of incentive terms. A change in ownership gives local governments a reason to formalize what they expect in return.
What Readers and Local Businesses Should Watch
Three signals will tell you more than any press release. First, watch for a published construction schedule from Samsung SDI. Second, watch county council agendas for incentive or infrastructure items tied to the site. Third, watch hiring postings in the South Bend region.
Contractors and suppliers should confirm contract terms with the new owner rather than assume the old ones carry over. Residents of New Carlisle and Olive Township should watch for traffic, utility, and zoning notices as construction resumes. For more hardware coverage, browse our hardware section.
The Long View on Indiana’s EV Battery Bet
In 2023, the plant stood for a quick, large-scale shift to American-made EV cells. In 2026, it stands for something quieter. A battery maker holds a large site, a former partner has stepped back into a development role, and a county waits.
The takeaway: the New Carlisle story is a case of capacity outrunning demand, then a restructuring that keeps the asset alive. Whether it becomes a major employer depends on orders, not on ground already broken. The next hard evidence will be a date, a headcount, and a first product.
FAQ
Who owns the New Carlisle battery plant now? According to WSBT 22 and WardsAuto, Samsung SDI is taking over the site, with WardsAuto reporting that it acquired GM’s 49.99% stake in the venture.
Where is the plant located? It sits in St. Joseph County, Indiana, east of New Carlisle, at Larrison Boulevard and Indiana 2.
How much was the original investment? The 2023 announcement put it at more than $3 billion. No revised total has been confirmed.
How many jobs were promised? The companies announced 1,700 manufacturing jobs in 2023. A local chamber leader told WSBT 22 he expects a similar number, but Samsung SDI has not published a new figure.
When will the plant start producing batteries? Unknown. The 2023 plan targeted 2026, but WSBT 22 reported in August that the building is still under construction and no timeline is available.
Why did GM pause construction? GM paused work in May 2026 as EV demand came in below expectations, according to local and trade reports. WSBT 22 also quoted a chamber leader pointing to the loss of federal tax credits.
Will the plant still make EV batteries? Possibly. WardsAuto reported Samsung SDI plans to produce stationary energy storage batteries there, while a joint agreement with GM covers prismatic batteries for possible future electric vehicles.
