Stellantis on Tuesday announced a $155 million investment in three Kokomo, Indiana, plants to produce drive modules for future electric vehicles starting in 2024.
Comprising an electric motor, power electronics and transmission assembled into a single unit, the module will be used in vehicles based on the STLA Frame and STLA Large platforms, which will support the Ram 1500 REV pickup truck and Dodge electric muscle car respectively. . While the company didn’t name a specific product, it’s likely that this model will be powered by the facility’s US-made drive modules.
Stellantis EV drive module
The company has previously noted that this drive module is key to achieving its target of a maximum range of 500 miles for this platform, along with a 0-60 mph acceleration of 2.0 seconds for the sportiest model. Stellantis repeated the 500 mile claim in a press release announcing the Indiana investment, which the automaker noted after $3.3 billion it invested in Indiana since 2020 to support electrification.
The latest investment will be split between the Indiana Stellantis Transmission Plant, Kokomo Transmission, and Kokomo Foundry, reflecting the division of labor between them, the release said. The gearbox cover for the drive module will be cast at Kokomo Casting and machined at Kokomo Transmission, while gear machining and final assembly will be handled at Indiana Transmission, according to Stellantis.
Ram 1500 REV
Kokomo is also where Stellantis announced its $2.5 billion battery factory under a joint venture with battery supplier Samsung SDI. It’s quite a jump from more than a decade ago, when Fiat’s Stellantis predecessor Chrysler Automobiles touted a $300 million investment in the Kokomo Transmission plant to build more fuel-efficient units for internal combustion vehicles.
Stellantis plans to spend $35.5 billion globally over five years to help shake up 14 brands. That includes a goal of 50% of battery-electric vehicle sales in the US by 2030.
