Panasonic Energy & Mazda Partner On Lithium-Ion Batteries

Panasonic Energy and Mazda Motor Corporation are partnering up to create a supply of next-generation cylindrical Lithium-ion batteries for Mazda’s upcoming battery electric vehicles from 2027.

This partnership aims to boost Mazda’s EV offerings in the competitive Chinese market and expand Japan’s manufacturing base for batteries. 

Both Panasonic Energy and Mazda have a strong commitment to delivering high-performance batteries and bolstering EV production throughout Asia.

Increasing EV choice in China 

Established in 1990, the Beijing International Automotive Exhibition, also known as Auto China, is where top automotive manufacturers come together to drive processes. 

Having been held for 17 consecutive editions, the 2024 theme was “New Era, New Cars’, a theme that Madza met boldly with its new EV offerings.

Mazda unveiled two new EV models: the all-new electrified vehicle, Mazda EZ-6, and the Mazda 創 Arata, the design concept model of an electrified vehicle. These vehicles were developed in cooperation with Chongqing Changan Automobile.

The Mazda EZ-6 will be launched in China by the end of 2024, with the new concept model Mazda 創 Arata scheduled to be mass-produced and introduced to the Chinese market by the end of 2025. 

In China, where electrification is rapidly advancing and EVs have emerged as a popular and competitive consumer choice, Mazda is seeking to diversify its lineup and appeal to customers. 

Critical to this diversification and new product development is the strength of the EV battery.

In this case, Mazda, through its partnership with Panasonic Energy, is relying on the strength and innovation of the Japanese battery industry.

Boosting battery growth in Japan

Japan was the birthplace of the modern lithium-ion industry. In 1985, Japanese Chemist Dr Akira Yoshino and his team at Asahei Kasei made a prototype lithium cobalt oxide battery. Later, in 1991, Sony created the first commercial lithium-ion cell. 

And just three years later, Panasonic would begin producing the battery model at scale.

The rise of convenient modern consumer electronics is thanks to the streamlining of the battery, quickly reducing in size and enabling the creation of powerful yet compact portable camcorders, laptops and cell phones.

In the late 1990s and 2000s, Japanese innovators widened the use of lithium-ion batteries, and they started to gain a presence in energy storage, power tools and automotive. 

Today, battery manufacturing remains a key economic activity within Japan.

In the past several years, Japan has consistently produced around four billion batteries annually, which is 35 batteries per person living in the country. 

By 2032, the Japanese battery market is estimated to reach a valuation of US$27.64bn. 

Panasonic Energy will be a vital part of this process as it aims to increase its manufacturing power, achieving a domestic production capacity of 10GWh annually by 2030. The company also intends to produce cylindrical lithium-ion batteries at its Suminoe and Kaizuka factories in Osaka from 2027 onwards. 

“Through this collaboration, we are poised to drive the expansion of BEV manufacturing and boost the competitiveness of Japan’s battery industry,” says Kazuo Tadanobu, president and CEO of Panasonic Energy.

“Our ultimate goal is to foster a sustainable society, and we are dedicated to achieving this mission.”

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