Samsung may sign a $2.1 billion deal with Tesla to supply ESS batteries

In July this year, Samsung's semiconductor manufacturing division, Samsung Foundry, signed a massive $16.5 billion deal with Tesla, where the South Korean tech giant will produce the American electric vehicle (EV) maker's AI6 chip on its 2nm node process. Now, Samsung's division that makes batteries, Samsung SDI, is in talks with Tesla for a huge deal.

Samsung SDI is in talks with Tesla for a deal, where the former may supply the latter with 10 gigawatt-hour (GWh) of lithium phosphate (LFP) batteries for energy storage systems (ESS) over a period of three years (via The Korea Economic Daily, Reuters, and The Elec). Reportedly, the deal will be worth KRW 3 trillion (approximately $2.11 billion).

Samsung is said to be planning to make these batteries at its factory in Indiana, which it built jointly with Stellantis. The South Korean tech giant, in its Q3 2025 earnings call, said that it has seen a big drop in the demand for batteries from Stellantis. So, it makes sense for the brand to utilise the factory for making ESS batteries for Tesla.

Since the news broke, Samsung SDI’s share rose as much as 8.4%. However, the South Korean tech giant says that the deal hasn’t been finalised yet. This deal will reportedly reduce Tesla's reliance on China for key parts of its EVs. The EV maker may also use these batteries for Megapack, a “utility-scale battery that provides reliable energy storage.“