Panasonic Energy said it is ready to start manufacturing 4680 cylindrical automotive lithium-ion cells, and has revamped its Wakayama factory in western Japan. It will serve as the mother factory for the new cells, with mass production due after final evaluation.
It said on 9 September the manufacturing process of the 4680, with five times the capacity of the 2170 cell, requires more advanced technology and expertise.
The 61,000 sq m Wakayama factory, a base for the manufacture of lithium-ion battery parts, was built in 1991 and has had an overhaul. It will now also serve as a demonstration hub for new products and methods. The factory will play a key role, with processes newly trialled there set to be implemented globally in other factories, the company said. It has sent samples to automakers, according to Reuters.
It expects that roughly 400 staff will be involved in the development and production of next-generation batteries at the Wakayama factory by March 2025.
Kazuo Tadanobu, president and executive officer of Panasonic Energy, said: “This milestone is the result of years of expertise in cylindrical lithium-ion battery manufacturing. I’m confident it will significantly revolutionise the battery and EV industry. As we add the 4680 cell to our line-up, we’ll cater to a broader range of needs.”
While the Tesla automaker already produces its own 4680 batteries, one of the main bottlenecks it faces for the Cybertruck vehicle is the speed at which it can make them, according to analysts.
Panasonic and automaker Subaru said last week they will set up a plant in Gunma prefecture north of Tokyo for the supply of cylindrical lithium-ion batteries from the 2028 business year. Annual production capacity for battery cells at that and another domestic base for this project is planned to reach 20GWh by 2030, said Panasonic.
