Buttigieg stopped in Kokomo to tour the Stellantis engine plant and learn about the company’s planned electric vehicle battery manufacturing facility.
KOKOMO, Ind. — U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg was back home again in Indiana Friday, highlighting the importance of the electric vehicle industry and the workforce needed to fill it.
“This is a real full circle moment for me,” said Buttigieg. “I’ve been looking forward to this stop for quite a while.”
Buttigieg grew up in South Bend and served as mayor from 2012 to 2020.
He stopped in Kokomo to tour the Stellantis engine plant and learn about the company’s planned $2.5 billion electric vehicle battery manufacturing facility expected to open in 2027. Stellantis, in partnership with Samsung and StarPlus, announced the project in 2023 and said it would create more than 1,400 jobs.
Buttigieg labeled Indiana part of the up-and-coming battery belt and emphasized the importance of building the industry here.
“Building EV’s and the components that go with them is one …