Panasonic to Build Huge EV Battery Factory in Kansas

TOPEKA, KS—Panasonic Energy Co. plans to build a $4 billion lithium-ion battery manufacturing plant at a potential site in De Soto, KS. The facility would be located on the site of the former Sunflower Army Ammunition Plant, which was built during World War II.

"With the increased electrification of the automotive market, expanding battery production in the U.S. is critical to help meet demand," says Kazuo Tadanobu, president and CEO of Panasonic Energy Co. "Given our leading technology and depth of experience, we aim to continue driving growth of the lithium-ion battery industry and accelerating toward a net-zero emissions future."

The announcement comes five years after Panasonic Group began mass-producing lithium-ion batteries at Panasonic Energy of North America (PENA) in Sparks, NV. PENA, a key supplier to Tesla, is now one of the world's largest battery factories, surpassing 6 billion EV battery cells shipped. While PENA's operations will continue, Tadanobu says the new facility in Kansas is intended to further support Panasonic’s long-term commitment to advancing the EV industry in the United States.

The ASSEMBLY Show South

ASSEMBLY is thrilled to return to the Music City Center in Nashville, TN for The ASSEMBLY Show SOUTH on May 1-2, 2024. This is a booming time for manufacturing and the U.S. South is right in the heart of the action. According to ASSEMBLY’s most recent annual capital spending survey, the South is projected to account for 31 percent of total spending this year, marking the fifth straight year this region has accounted for at least 30 percent of capital spending in the U.S.

In this session, manufacturers will learn how Quality function deployment (QFD) can transform consumers’ qualitative demands into quantitative parameters that will shape the design of their product and, ultimately, their manufacturing process.

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