The Osaka-based electronics-maker – Panasonic plans to produce the upgraded electric vehicle battery cells with improved capacity sometime during 2024 or 2025.
As per reports, the firm’s Chief Technology Officer Shoichiro Watanabe, for EV batteries, said, “Production of a revamped version of the company’s 2170 cells will begin at its manufacturing plant in Nevada.”
He further pointed out that the firm can deliver quadruple production capacity by the 2030 fiscal year and need not rely completely on building a new factory or heavy investments to do so. “ Panasonic has been working to boost the energy density of the 2170 cell that could help reduce the overall cost of an electric vehicle,” he said.
“We will expand battery capacity and improve productivity at the same time,” Watanabe said.
As per the firm, “Panasonic set its sights on North America, with plans to improve and expand production there as part of its goal to one day provide 200 gigawatt hours of energy in electric vehicle batteries. Panasonic is also developing another battery that’s thicker and more voluminous, called the 4680 cell.”
It was further reported that the firm does not need to do new investments to raise its manufacturing capacity by 10% by the 2025 fiscal year.
“ Decisions on the production timing of next-generation EV batteries at the Nevada plant, which is jointly operated with Tesla, will be made together,” he said.
It may be noted that Panasonic has invested tremendously in the development of EV batteries to align with this goal of shifting to clean, carbon neutral energy sources.
Panasonic is Japan’s top battery manufacturer and a major supplier for car manufacturing firms like Subaru, Mazda and Telsa.
As per the reports, the firm is currently building a battery plant in Kansas, a second plant in North America, the location of the said plant will be revealed by the end of this fiscal year ending March. As per the firm’s claims it plans to raise its battery production capacity to 200 GWh by the 2030 fiscal year from its current limit of 50 GWh.
