① Japan's Panasonic Energy issued a press release on Monday (September 9) saying that it has completed preparations for mass production of 4,680 electric vehicle batteries; ② The 4680 battery has a larger capacity, which not only extends the driving range of electric vehicles, but can also use fewer batteries to achieve the same battery pack capacity; ③ Currently, the company has sent samples of 4680 batteries to some car manufacturers.
AFP, September 9 (Editor Zhou Ziyi) Japan's Panasonic Holdings said on Monday (September 9) that its energy department has completed preparations for mass production of 4,680 electric vehicle batteries, and the company is seeking to begin supplying batteries to automakers.
Panasonic Energy is one of the main suppliers of American electric vehicle giant Tesla. As the name suggests, the 4680 battery produced by the company refers to a cylindrical lithium battery with a diameter of 46 mm and a height of 80 mm. The capacity of this type of battery is five times that of a 2170 cylindrical battery.
The company wrote in a statement on Monday that the larger capacity 4680 battery will not only extend the range of electric vehicles, but will also allow automakers to use fewer batteries to achieve the same battery pack capacity, and ultimately reduce the cost of electric vehicles, making them more affordable in the wider market.
On the same day, Panasonic Energy held a ceremony to conclude preparations for mass production. A company spokesperson pointed out that the company has sent samples of the 4680 battery to a number of car manufacturers and plans to begin production of this new battery after receiving approval.
As for production plants, Panasonic Energy's refurbished plant in Wakayama Prefecture in western Japan will be the main plant to produce 4680 batteries. The company previously stated that it plans to begin production of 4680 batteries in the first half of this fiscal year (beginning in April), and expects the Wakayama plant to employ about 400 employees to develop and produce new batteries by March 2025.
According to reports, the Wakayama plant will be used as a pilot project so that other Panasonic battery factories around the world can carry out production related to 4680 batteries in the future. Currently, Panasonic Energy's Suminoe and Umitsuka plants in Japan are producing 2,170 cylindrical electric vehicle batteries and 1,860 cylindrical batteries, respectively.
Furthermore, in order to achieve environmentally friendly production, the Wakayama Plant plans to maximize the use of renewable energy such as solar energy and onshore wind energy to achieve almost zero carbon dioxide emissions during the production process. According to statistics, as of September 2024, Panasonic Energy has achieved carbon neutrality at all 9 of its sites in Japan, and the company aims to expand this achievement to all 20 of its global sites by March 2029.