Yesterday, UAW Local 1166 president Dave Willis told the WRTV of Kokomo that they had negotiated for collective bargaining at the new Kokomo battery plant, a joint venture of Stellantis and Samsung. The news came almost immediately after Carlos Tavares left office; Tavares had arguably reneged on union deals and then sued the union over the resulting strike votes.
The plant is not scheduled to open until 2026, but hundreds of people are now at work preparing the plant for production. Willis told WRTV, “They have a major investment over there, and now they’re investing in their people … We just need to get back to where we were, making cars, and making a product these people can purchase and drive with pride.”
Stellantis is likely to make conventional lithium-ion batteries at first, transitioning to solid-state batteries in 2027-2029 after pilot tests and manufacturing processes are finished. Other automakers are also planning to switch to solid state technology, which is maturing at around the same time across the industry. Conventional gasoline-powered cars and trucks will remain available.
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