KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Panasonic has announced that it will be breaking ground on its $4 billion battery plant in De Soto, Kansas, in November 2022.
The facility will produce cylindrical Li-ion batteries for electric vehicles.
Mass production of Panasonic's 2170 EV batteries at the plant, which the corporation says are in high demand, is set to begin before April 2025.
“As the global shift to EVs accelerates, we are looking into ways to strengthen our battery production capacity in North America and meet the growing demand from our automotive partners,” Panasonic President and CEO Kazuo Tadanobu said in a release.
The plant's peak power capacity will be 30 GWh, which is over 40.2 million horsepower.
The Kansas Department of Commerce projects the project could create a total of 20,000 jobs, with 4,000 planned jobs, 16,500 construction jobs and a potential additional 4,000 jobs from suppliers and community business.
Kansas won the facility over Oklahoma after offering Panasonic an over $820 million incentives package, including a five-year $500 million investment tax credit and a 10-year $234 million payroll rebate.
“With our superior technology and extensive experience, we will drive the growth of the Li-ion battery industry, accelerate our efforts to achieve zero emissions in the future, and work toward our mission of achieving a society in which the pursuit of happiness and a sustainable environment are harmonized,” Tadanobu said.
