Stellantis Plans to Exit U.S. Battery Joint Venture with Samsung SDI

According to Bloomberg, Stellantis is considering exiting its U.S. battery joint venture with South Korea’s Samsung SDI—StarPlus Energy—in Indiana. This move forms part of the automaker’s broader strategy to scale back electric vehicle (EV) investments. Last week, the company recorded an asset impairment charge exceeding €22 billion and announced its withdrawal from another joint venture with LG Energy Solution in Canada. Sources familiar with the matter said Stellantis has not yet made a final decision and could opt to sell its stake to a third party, though such an exit would be costly and complex. The company stated it is in “ongoing discussions” with Samsung regarding the future of the joint venture. Amid weakening EV policies under the Trump administration and softening market demand, automakers including Stellantis, General Motors, and Ford are reassessing their previously announced multi-billion-dollar battery investments, with some shifting focus toward energy storage systems. The Indiana plant, which began operations in 2024, has already started producing energy storage batteries, and Samsung has secured multiple new customer orders for these products.