In July 2022, Panasonic announced it would build a new lithium-ion battery plant in DeSoto, Kansas, a small town located right off a major highway. The plant is being built for the rapidly growing electric vehicle market. It's estimated the project will bring 4,000 permanent jobs to the state, and according to Kansas Department of Commerce officials, it is the most significant economic development project in state history. 

Panasonic formally broke ground for its new $4 billion, 4,000-employee factory in Kansas in a private ceremony in November 2022.