As Tesla persists to diversify its suppliers, its primary US source, Panasonic plans, is building a $4 billion electric vehicle battery plant in Kansas to compete in the increasingly competitive EV battery space also reduce reliance on EV pioneers.
The state of Kansas has authorized Panasonic Energy. The electric vehicle battery division of the Panasonic Group, to build the plant. With the approval of the Japanese company’s board of directors, according to a company statement. The report said that the Panasonic Energy plant could create up to 4,000 jobs at its planned location in De Soto, a suburb of greater Kansas City.
The plant will be Panasonic’s 2nd in the US. Also Where it already operates a battery factory with rich Elon Musk’s Tesla near Reno, Nevada.
The American assembly line used by Panasonic has shipped more than 6 billion EV battery cells, most likely to Tesla.
However, Tesla points to a trend of “progressively diversifying” battery sources to remain “flexible” when developing different vehicle types, news website InsideEVs reported in May.
“Panasonic has maintained its share of the lithium-ion battery market almost entirely. Through its relationship with Tesla,” said Christopher Robinson, research director at Lux Research. When Tesla started supplying cells from suppliers other than Panasonic, it became important for Panasonic to find other battery users. If it wanted to maintain its market share.”