It is reported that Panasonic is considering building a new battery factory in the United States to supply Tesla. Panasonic is currently evaluating several candidate sites, including Oklahoma, as it is close to Tesla's new plant in Texas. Panasonic plans to produce a new high-capacity battery at the plant, with the goal of starting production as early as fiscal 2024. In addition, Panasonic plans to operate the new plant independently.
The site selection will also take into account local government subsidies and other support measures. The final decision on whether to build a plant will depend on the profitability of the new lithium-ion battery (Panasonic will produce the battery at a plant in Wakayama, Japan, from fiscal 2023).
Panasonic's goal is to supply the new battery for Tesla's cybertruck pickup truck and other vehicles. In addition, Panasonic is seeking to strengthen its high-end vehicle (battery) business in Europe and the United States.
Currently, Panasonic and Tesla have jointly operated a battery factory in Nevada. The initial capacity of the plant was 35 GWH per year, and Panasonic invested about 200 billion yen (about US $1.5 billion). Since then, the plant has made additional investment, and its current capacity is about 39 GWH per year. The size of the new plant may be similar.
