Panasonic plans to build a battery factory in the United States to supply Tesla with 4,680 batteries

Panasonic plans to build a new plant in the United States and is considering finding suitable sites in Oklahoma and Kansas to supply Tesla with lithium-ion batteries and boost production to meet market demand for electric vehicles, sources familiar with the matter, NHK reported.

Panasonic's new plant in the United States is expected to produce 4,680 batteries, NHK reported.Tesla's Texas plant is about to open, while Oklahoma is close to Texas and Kansas, which will allow Panasonic to supply batteries to Tesla.Panasonic is looking to expand production capacity for 4,680 batteries and is considering investing "hundreds of billions of yen" in the new plant.

The 4680 Battery is a larger new battery, 46 mm in diameter and 80 mm high.Because the 4680 has higher capacity, it can reduce the number of batteries in electric vehicles, making it possible to make cheaper and longer range electric vehicles.

Panasonic spokesman Yayoi Watanabe said NHK's report was not based on information provided by the company.

Panasonic has a long-term partnership with Tesla and jointly operates the battery Gigafactory outside Reno, Nevada).On February 28, Panasonic said it would begin mass production of 4680 batteries in fiscal year 2023 (April 2023-March 2024) and planned to add two production lines at the Wakayama (Wakayama) plant in western Japan.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk called the 4680 battery a "huge breakthrough" in technology that will make it possible for Tesla to produce a $25,000 electric car.While Tesla plans to produce its own 4680 battery, it also requires Panasonic to produce it, and Panasonic also plans to supply the 4680 batteries to other automakers.

Tesla has a huge demand for batteries and has already started producing batteries on a pilot production line at its Fremont, California, plant, while it will continue to rely on external battery suppliers such as Panasonic, Ningde Times and LG New Energy.

In recent months, global automakers have announced that they will expand battery capacity for the upcoming wave of electric vehicles.In December, Toyota said it would invest $1.29 billion to open its first U. S. battery plant in North Carolina and plans to start production in 2025.