NS assisted in site location of future GM, Samsung EV battery plant

Norfolk Southern Railway helped General Motors and Samsung SDI find the Indiana location where their joint venture will build a $3 billion plant to manufacture battery cells for electric vehicles.

Earlier this month, the two companies announced that the future plant will be located in New Carlisle, Indiana, to supply GM’s growing EV production needs. GM plans to install more than 1 million units of annual EV capacity in North America in 2025 and accelerate from there, according to a press release issued by Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb's office.

Construction is planned to begin within the next year and support more than 1,000 jobs during the build. The companies plan to start production in New Carlisle in 2026, according to Holcomb's office.

NS was recognized as a "partner" in helping GM, Samsung SDI and the Indiana Economic Development Corp. in locating the future plant site at the Indiana Enterprise Center in St. Joseph County, NS officials said this week in a social media post.

"Rail continues to be an asset when companies are looking to locate or expand their operations in the United States," said NS spokesperson Katelyn Byrd in an email. "In this instance, Norfolk Southern, over many years, collaborated with local economic development leaders to develop conceptual rail plans, assessing the feasibility of extending rail service into the Indiana Enterprise Center."

There are conceptual plans for NS to provide rail service to the center in the future, Byrd confirmed.

"The opportunity to directly access rail from this site further enhances supply chain options for large-scale manufacturers," she said.

The new plant will house production lines to build nickel-rich prismatic and cylindrical cells and is expected to help significantly increase the accessibility and affordability of EVs. Once completed, the plant will have more than 30 gigawatt hours of capacity.