Korean giant LG Chem has closed its production plant in the United States due to the coronavirus pandemic. LG’s rival, Samsung SDI, announced the closure of its battery factory in Michigan. Both factors will be closed until April 13 (at least) after Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer issued an order for a quarantine to the entire state.
For the end of this year, LG Chem plans to have a combined capacity of 100 GWh between all its plants, which will allow it to supply batteries for 1.6 million electric vehicles. However, it is not yet clear whether these plans will be affected by the worldwide coronavirus crisis, which is holding back both industrial activity and consumption.
Currently, LG Chem is one of the leading suppliers of batteries for electric cars, contracts that include the German giant Volkswagen, the French manufacturer Renault, the North American group General Motors, and even their compatriots from Hyundai.