Panasonic has officially announced the start-up of its massive battery factory in De Soto, near Kansas City, USA. The facility, situated on approximately 300 acres, stands out as one of the largest automotive battery production centers in North America. With this facility, the company significantly increased its total battery production capacity in the US.

Panasonic establishes a massive battery factory in the US

This new facility in Kansas serves as Panasonic Energy’s second production center in North America. The factory, which will mass-produce 2170-type lithium-ion cells, will reach an annual production capacity of 32 GWh upon full operation.

This capacity will support battery supply for major manufacturers like Tesla. Panasonic previously reached a capacity of 41 GWh with its first facility in Nevada, which opened in 2017. The new facility brings Panasonic’s total production capacity in the US to 73 GWh.

The company increased workforce efficiency by installing next-generation production lines at its Kansas factory. This makes the new facility approximately 20% more efficient than the Nevada factory. It also plans to introduce cells made with more advanced materials. A capacity increase of approximately 5% per cell is also among the goals.

The facility is equivalent to approximately 225 football fields. Its establishment has been recognized as one of the largest economic development projects in Kansas to date. The plant is expected to create 4,000 direct jobs and up to 8,000 indirect jobs. This impact will not be limited to in-plant operations; jobs are also expected to be created in supply chain companies and related sectors.

Panasonic currently supplies battery cells to Tesla and Lucid. Mazda recently joined the company’s supply network. As of March 2025, Panasonic has shipped approximately 19 billion cells, powering approximately 3.7 million electric vehicles worldwide. These numbers are expected to increase further once the new facility in De Soto is fully operational.