Panasonic Holdings is ready to kick off production of its next-generation electric vehicle (EV) batteries after reopening a plant in Wakayama Prefecture.
The site, which was formerly used to make battery components, will become the main facility for production of Panasonic’s 4680 cylindrical lithium-ion cell, and output will begin as soon as a final evaluation is completed, the company said Monday without disclosing a specific date.
Panasonic says the 4680 battery is lighter, more efficient and cheaper to make than its predecessor, the 2170. That should help improve the range and charging time of EVs, while driving down costs.
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