Hundreds of staff from Japanese electronics group Panasonic Corp are being drafted into the prepare Tesla’s lithium-ion gigafactory for production.
The employees are heading to Nevada this autumn to get the plant ready to start making lithium-ion batteries next year.
Panasonic has developed a lead-acid battery for charge control and idle reduction vehicles.
According to US patent number 14/359464, filed on January 23 2013, published on November 6, the battery is designed to have a high charge acceptance, which makes it suitable for vehicles with little charging opportunity.
Japan’s electronics producer Panasonic has established a company to produce and sell lithium-ion batteries for Tesla’s 'Gigafactory' in the US.
The Panasonic Energy Corporation of North America will be built on-site of Tesla’s $5 billion factory in Nevada, US. The US subsidiary is planned to reduce the cost of long-range battery packs and will expand the production process accordingly to Tesla’s electric vehicle (EV) delivery schedule to meet Tesla’s goal of mass-market EV’s.
The price of lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles and energy storage systems (ESS) have fallen by a third in the past year, according to a report by Korea’s Electronic Times.
It reports the price of mid-to-large lithium-ion secondary battery cells dropped from $500-600/kWh last year to $350/kWh. In South Korea, said to be less competitive than the global market, batteries are traded at $400-500/kWh.
Panasonic is to supply and install battery machinery to Tesla Motor’s planned large-scale lithium-ion battery plant.
Panasonic will likely invest up to ¥30 billion ($294.7m) initially, according to a Nikkei report. Tesla aims to begin building the plant this year and to start making lithium-ion cells in 2017.
Japanese electronics maker Panasonic is to set up a lead-acid battery plant in India and plans to make the country a regional hub.
The batteries shall be used mainly in the automotive industry and data centres. The costs for the plant are estimated at Rs200 crores ($36m). Panasonic is currently deciding on a location, which offers either tax concessions or is closer to the company’s automotive customers. The target is to start production by 2016.
China has given a conditional approval for an electric vehicle (EV) nickel metal hydride battery joint venture (JV) between Toyota and Panasonic’s Primearth and two other Toyota units, Hunan Corun and Changhsu Sinogy.
The JV is called Corun PEVE Automotive Battery Co. and it aims to focus on the production of nickel-metal hydride batteries for hybrid cars.
Panasonic is planning a big increase in lithium-ion battery capacity in 2014 to cope with increased demand for hybrid and electric vehicles.
Panasonic is supplying lithium-ion batteries to Indian conglomerate Reliance Group for mobile communications base stations.
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