South Korean Ev Battery Maker Sk Lays Off 958 Workers In Georgia

The artillery portion of SK Innovation Co. is laying disconnected much than a 3rd of nan workforce astatine its works successful Georgia arsenic nan South Korean shaper navigates a slowdown successful electrical conveyance sales.

SK Battery America laid disconnected 958 labor Friday, astir 37% of its 2,566-person workforce, according to a announcement revenge pinch nan authorities of Georgia. The mill successful Commerce, Ga., supplied cells for Ford Motor Co.’s now-canceled electrical F-150 Lightning pickup truck. It besides supplies Volkswagen AG and Hyundai Motor Co.

“To align operations to marketplace conditions, SK Battery America has made nan difficult determination to trim our workforce,” nan institution said successful an emailed connection Friday. It “remains committed to Georgia and to building a robust US proviso concatenation for precocious artillery manufacturing.”

SK said it’s pursuing customers successful nan automotive and stationary retention space.

The Associated Press earlier reported nan news.

South Korea’s artillery manufacture is reeling from an unraveling of nan EV modulation successful cardinal markets specified arsenic nan U.S., wherever President Trump has eliminated acquisition subsidies and is hollowing retired substance system and emissions standards. SK Innovation said nan extremity of nan U.S. national taxation in installments for EV buyers ate into profitability successful nan 4th fourth of 2025 contempt accrued shipments to Europe.

SK has a 2nd artillery works successful Georgia that will proviso Hyundai and is expected to commencement accumulation successful nan first half of 2026. Its different works successful Tennessee, formerly portion of a associated task pinch Ford, isn’t expected to commencement accumulation until 2028 and could proviso some automotive and stationary retention cells, a spokesperson said.

Coppola writes for Bloomberg.