Updated incentives approved for proposed EV battery project

Officials in St. Joseph County have approved an amended economic development agreement and tax incentives for a proposed electric vehicle battery cell plant that could be located in Indiana.

General Motors plans to invest $3.5 billion to build the facility that could bring 1,600 jobs to Indiana if a 656-acre site in New Carlisle is selected for the project.

GM had originally planned to build a $2.4 billion plant as part of its Ultium Cells joint venture with South Korea’s LG Energy Solution. County officials approved the original development agreement and incentives for that project last September.

However, those plans were put on hold in January after GM and LG failed to come to an agreement on the project. 

Last month, GM announced a new partnership with South Korea-based Samsung SDI to build a similar plant, which brought renewed enthusiasm from St. Joseph County officials. Earlier this month, the county began the process to amend the original agreement and incentives to reflect the new partnership.

South Bend Regional Chamber of Commerce CEO Jeff Rea said the project was unanimously approved Tuesday evening by the Redevelopment Commission, Board of County Commissioners, County Council Land Use Committee, and County Council.

The new project is being proposed for the same site inside the Indiana Enterprise Center in New Carlisle, which is about 15 miles due west of South Bend and about 160 miles north of Indianapolis.

Rea said GM aims to begin construction in the fourth quarter of this year and be substantially complete in late 2027.

“Generally, the local community has done all it can to assist GM and Samsung in their decision-making process, and we remain hopeful that as they move forward on selecting a site, that our site tops their list,” Rea said in an email to IIB.

A timeframe for a final decision on the plant’s location was not given.