Indiana site remains in play for GM battery plant with new partner

A site in New Carlisle, Indiana, remains in play for General Motors Co.'s fourth battery plant with the automaker looking to receive tax incentives for the facility it now plans to build with a new battery partner, according to a St. Joseph County Council agenda.

GM previously received approval for tax incentives at the site with battery partner LG Energy Solution but GM and LG halted their plans for that plant in January. A joint venture between GM and LG, Ultium Cells LLC, operates a battery plant in Warren, Ohio, and plans two additional factories in Michigan's Delta Township and Spring Hill, Tenn.

On Tuesday, the county council will conduct a first reading of a resolution to amend a previous resolution "to change the entity receiving the tax abatement and deduction from assessed valuation of property to General Motors LLC and its assigns, an affiliate of a joint venture partner in the previous entity, Ultium Cells LLC, and to provide additional tax abatement and deduction from assessed valuation of property."

New Carlisle is 20 minutes west of South Bend near the Michigan border.

GM and Samsung SDI late last month announced plans to build a more-than-$3 billion new battery cell manufacturing plant in the United States that will be operational in 2026. A location for the plant was not announced at the time.

"It's premature to comment on any aspect until there's final resolution," GM spokesperson Jim Cain said Sunday evening.

GM and Samsung will jointly operate the facility where they intend to make nickel-rich prismatic and cylindrical cells. GM's new Ultium electric vehicle platform was designed to use multiple cell form factors and chemistries.

GM's $2.3 billion Ultium plant in Warren, Ohio with LG opened last year. A second $2.3 billion Ultium Cells plant will open later this year in Spring Hill, and a third $2.6 billion facility is under construction near Lansing with a 2024 completion date. The three plants will create 11,000 jobs for construction and operations.

khall@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @bykaleahall