Stellantis will lay off 59 salaried employees at its electric vehicle battery manufacturing facility in Kokomo. Graphic from Stellantis.

News Release

KOKOMO — StarPlus Energy LLC, the joint venture between Stellantis and Samsung SDI, will lay off 59 salaried employees at its electric vehicle battery manufacturing facility in Kokomo, the automaker announced.

The decision follows what the company described as ongoing shifts in the U.S. electric vehicle market. The plant, a $2.5 billion investment announced in 2022, officially opened in December and was projected to have all three of its production lines operational by the end of 2025.

StarPlus Energy’s facility was expected to eventually employ 1,400 workers. Current staffing levels stand at approximately 730, according to the company. The latest round of layoffs represents about 18% of the facility’s salaried workforce.

The company said affected employees will receive severance packages that include continued benefits coverage.

The announcement comes about two months after several hundred hourly workers at the plant were placed on temporary layoff. Since then, more than a third of those workers have returned to the facility.

Plans for a second EV battery plant were announced in October 2023. The $3.2 billion project, also expected to create 1,400 jobs, was initially slated to begin production in 2027. However, the timeline remains uncertain as the company evaluates market conditions before proceeding with construction.

Stellantis employs approximately 6,100 people across Indiana and operates three additional facilities in Kokomo: the Indiana Transmission Plant, Kokomo Transmission Plant and Kokomo Casting Plant.