Panasonic Corp. is renovating a facility in Japan to start testing mass production of a new type of lithium-ion battery that’s championed by Tesla Inc. as the key to unlocking cheaper electric vehicles.
Panasonic will start prototype production of a next-generation 4680 battery early this year at a facility in Wakayama Prefecture, Chief Financial Officer Hirokazu Umeda said Wednesday at a briefing on the company’s quarterly financial results.
The Wakayama facility will first be used for pilot production of the 4680 cells. After various tests, a mass production line will be newly installed, likely also in Wakayama, Umeda said.