Panasonic Holdings (HD) has decided to concentrate investment in the field of automotive batteries. The maintenance cost of an automotive battery factory in Kansas, USA will reach 500 billion to 600 billion yen. President Kusumi has high hopes for the growth of the automotive battery market, and to that end, he is also focusing on technological development, such as the evolution of energy density, safety, and the elimination of rare metals.
In addition to automotive batteries, HD will invest 400 billion yen in “growth areas” such as air conditioning and supply network management (SCM) software, and 200 billion yen in “technical foundations” such as hydrogen energy and cyber physical systems (CPS). I was planning on throwing. However, the latest information has led to a switch to pinpoint investments in automotive batteries.
Many companies have entered the automotive battery market and competition is intensifying, but President Kusumi believes that demand can be secured while coordinating with specific customers. President Kusumi also mentions the shape of the on-board battery, citing the cylindrical shape as being easy to cool and one of the factors that give it a competitive advantage.
HD is also aiming to expand its production capacity, expanding production of the current flagship model “2170” at the Kansas Plant, and after stably producing the large “4680” at the Wakayama Plant, it will expand to North America on a large scale. I am planning. “4680” adopts a cylindrical shape and is positioned as a future flagship product.
A production base for the 4680 has not yet been selected, but the optimal selection will be made after comprehensively assessing factors such as logistics, securing personnel, and support systems. In order for concentrated investment to lead to profits, it is necessary to develop bases at the right time while maintaining a balance between supply and demand.