Panasonic breaks ground on EV battery factory in Kansas
Panasonic Energy has started construction on a new lithium-ion battery manufacturing facility in De Soto, Kansas.
Facility construction is focused on rapidly ramping up manufacture of "2170" cylindrical Li-ion batteries to meet surging domestic EV battery demand. The company plans to start mass production in Kansas by March 2025.
Once the facility – located at the Astra Enterprise Park site – is completed, it will maintain an annual total production capacity of approximately 30 GWh to supply EV manufacturers across the United States.
"This groundbreaking in Kansas is an important step towards expanding our production capacity in North America to meet the rapidly growing demand for lithium-ion batteries," says Kazuo Tadanobu, President, CEO of Panasonic Energy Co., Ltd, in a press release. "With our leading technology, proven expertise, and the state of Kansas as a critical partner, we will continue driving the industry forward while pursuing a more prosperous and sustainable future for our society."
Panasonic states that the facility is expected to create up to 4,000 jobs and that the recruitment for the first positions is expected to start in mid-2023.
"We are already producing more than five million battery cells a day in North America, and the new facility in Kansas will further grow our capacity, efficiency and economies of scale which are critical to a net-zero emissions future," says Kris Takamoto, Executive Vice President of Panasonic Energy Co., Ltd., Head of EV Battery Business, in the press release.
