Panasonic Energy, Mazda in talks for partnership on supply of cylindrical li-ion batteries

Panasonic Energy and Mazda Motor Corporation have announced that they have agreed to enter into discussions on establishing a medium- to long-term partnership to meet demand for EV batteries and automotive batteries for global markets. 

The companies have said that they will commence concrete discussions with a view toward Panasonic Energy supplying Mazda with automotive cylindrical lithium-ion batteries manufactured at the former's plants in Japan and North America. 

Mazda will be installing the batteries procured from Panasonic Energy on its battery EVs scheduled to be launched in the latter half of this decade. 

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Kazuo Tadanobu, President, CEO of Panasonic Energy, stated, "As the automotive industry rapidly advances electrification and is leading in this technology, collaboration with Mazda will be a major step toward the achievement of our mission of realizing a society in which the pursuit of happiness and a sustainable environment are harmonized". 

"With our superior technology and extensive experience, we will drive growth of the lithium-ion battery industry and further accelerate our efforts to achieve zero emissions", he added. 

Speaking on the development, Masahiro Moro, Director and Senior Managing Executive Officer of Mazda, said, "As part of our electrification initiatives, Mazda is working with its partners in three phases to flexibly respond to changes in regulatory trends, consumer needs, and other areas". 

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"We are delighted to collaborate with Panasonic Energy, which has been a pioneer in automotive lithium-ion batteries, developing high-quality products. We will keep contributing to curbing global warming through various initiatives including our electrification strategy", he noted. 

Mazda has outlined a three-phase electrification strategy through 2030, with a mid-term management plan involving $10.6 billion investment in electric vehicles that will hit markets in 2025-27.