Samsung May Lose a Key EV Partner in the US

Samsung could lose a key electric vehicle (EV) partner in the United States. Stellantis reportedly wants to exit its battery joint venture with Samsung SDI. This comes after the automaker recently announced more than $26.5 billion in asset write-downs, prompting it to scale back EV investments and conserve cash.

Stellantis may leave StarPlus Energy as EV demand slows

Stellantis is a key partner of Samsung SDI for EV battery production in North America. The two companies established a joint venture to operate EV cell manufacturing facilities in Kokomo, Indiana, United States. Called StarPlus Energy, the venture’s first battery plant began operations in December 2024. A second plant, which is currently under construction, could launch next year. The two facilities carry an investment of $6.3 billion.

According to a report from Bloomberg, Stellantis is looking to exit from StarPlus Energy, though the final decision has yet to be made. Since an exit could be costly and take time to complete, Stellantis could sell its stake to a third party. “We continue to have ongoing collaborative discussions with Samsung on the future of our StarPlus Energy JV,” said the automaker.

The possible exit shows a broader slowdown in EV demand in North America. Automakers have become more cautious because of sluggish sales and the end of federal consumer EV subsidies in late 2025. As such, several US carmakers are reassessing their existing EV battery partnerships. More importantly, they are focusing on supplying batteries for the energy storage systems (ESS) as renewables and AI boost demand.

Samsung SDI is also ramping up its push into energy storage. The company has begun converting some EV battery production lines to ESS, expanding the output of lithium iron phosphate batteries. Recently, the Korean firm reportedly inked an agreement with Tesla to supply ESS batteries. It plans to start phased operations of a new ESS battery line in late 2026.