Panasonic simply introduced that it’s constructing a $4 billion battery cell manufacturing facility in Kansas to provide Tesla, however we now be taught that the Japanese firm is contemplating greenlighting one other large-scale US battery cell manufacturing facility to construct concurrently.
Earlier than selecting Kansas for its new battery cell manufacturing facility within the US final month, Panasonic was selecting between Oklahoma and Kansas.
The corporate ended up going with Kansas for a large-scale battery cell manufacturing facility, its second within the US after its half in Tesla’s Gigafactory Nevada the place it solely produces battery cells for Tesla automobiles.
Panasonic plans to fabricate new 4680 cells for Tesla on the new Kansas plant.
Now the Wall Avenue Journal stories that Panasonic’s plan for a battery cell manufacturing facility in Oklahoma shouldn’t be lifeless as a result of it’s shifting ahead with Kansas. The report states that the Japanese producer is definitely contemplating additionally constructing a plant in Oklahoma concurrently:
The brand new Panasonic plant would come along with a roughly $4 billion EV battery manufacturing facility that the Japanese firm stated in July it plans to construct in Kansas. Folks with information of Panasonic’s plans described the 2 vegetation as twins with related capability.
Whereas this is able to be an enormous funding for Panasonic, it wouldn’t really be out of the norm.
LG Vitality and SK Innovation, each rivals of Panasonic, have each introduced plans for a number of battery cell factories within the US in partnership with GM and Ford respectively.
Panasonic provides cells to a number of electrical automakers, however it’s clearly nearer to Tesla who has made it clear that it’ll purchase each viable battery cell it may get its palms on for the foreseeable future.
Should you consider Tesla, it wouldn’t be a foul enterprise mannequin to ramp up manufacturing as quick as you possibly can with as many factories as you possibly can. Additionally, each Kansas and Oklahoma are strategically positioned comparatively near Tesla’s Gigafactory Texas the place a lot of the firm’s development in manufacturing capability goes to come back from in North America for the following few years.
The Oklahoma state authorities has already authorised an incentive package deal value over $600 million for battery cell manufacturing facility, but it surely’s not clear when Panasonic will make a remaining determination.
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