Automakers are pulling back from electric vehicle production, and that’s affecting plans for the massive EV battery plant that General Motors and Samsung are building in St. Joseph County.
GM says softening consumer demand is expected to worsen thanks to the Trump Administration’s recent move to phase out the $7,500 tax credit for EV buyers.
GM’s construction contractor for the battery plant has confirmed some recent layoffs. But in an email to WVPE Monday, GM spokesman Kevin Kelly said construction will continue.
Kelly last week told the Detroit News that GM and Samsung still plans to open the plant by the end of 2027, perhaps switching to a different type of battery.
GM also last week announced layoffs at a Detroit area electric vehicle plant and they said in January they’ll temporarily pause production at their existing EV battery plants in Tennessee and Ohio.
It was unclear whether the developments will affect the local project’s initial estimate to create 1,600 jobs. County Economic Development Director Bill Shalliol expressed confidence to the Detroit News, saying GM hasn’t invested billions in the project “to convert this into the world’s largest pickleball facility.”
