Subaru, Panasonic Energy in talks for supply of cylindrical battery cells for EVs

Japanese automaker Subaru Corporation has said that it has started talks with Panasonic Energy to build medium- to long-term partnership to meet demand for cylindrical lithium-ion battery cells meant for electric vehicles in global markets. 

The companies will hold discussions with a view to Panasonic Energy supplying Subaru with next-generation automotive cylindrical lithium-ion batteries, and Subaru installing these batteries in BEVs to be produced from the latter half of the 2020s at its sites, including a dedicated BEV plant scheduled to be constructed in Gunma, Japan. 

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Subaru is accelerating its electrification and other initiatives by setting a roadmap toward 2050, with the aim of contributing to the realization of a carbon-neutral society. 

The brand's first all-electric car Solterra based on the e-Subaru Global Platform (e-SGP) co-developed by Toyota and Subaru was unveiled in 2021 and entered the car market a year later. 

It is reported that Subaru is developing three new EVs - all electric SUVs meeting a variety of buyer and segment demands - targeting market launch by 2026. The company has also revised its production numbers to build up to 400,000 EVs a year by 2028. 

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Panasonic Energy will work to achieve this goal as a partner by supplying its high-quality, high-performance cylindrical lithium-ion batteries, which have had a successful track record in the market for years, claims the battery manufacturer.