Panasonic Cooperation, Mazda Will Build A New Battery Factory In Japan

Mazda electric car. (Photo: Mazda)

JAKARTA - Various automotive manufacturers are taking strategic steps to shift from internal combustion engines to environmentally friendly vehicles, one of which is Mazda.

Quoting from its official website, Tuesday, January 7, the Japanese brand has announced plans to build a new battery module package factory in Iwakuni City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan.

This upcoming facility will manufacture modules and battery packs that will be used on the brand's first electric vehicle (EV) designed on a dedicated EV platform, which will be produced in Japan.

Later, the production capacity of the factory's annual battery is estimated at 10 GWh, with Panasonic Energy as a supplier of lithium ion cells, which of course have no doubt its quality.

Previously, both parties established a procurement partnership in May 2023, which was later expanded to include battery production and technology development in September 2024.

The construction of this factory is in line with Mazda's 2030 management policy which focuses on electrification technology based on a multi-solution strategy to meet customer needs and regulatory changes as well as combat global warming.

As is known, Mazda's first mass production electric car was the MX-30 which was launched in October 2019. This crossover was not made on a special EV platform, but uses the same SkyActiv-Vehicle Architecture as the one used in CX-30 and Mazda 3 which uses internal combustion engines.

"Mazda will continue to develop the 'Joy of Driving' based on the value of "Radically Human" ahead of 2030, and aims to bring 'Joy of Living' by creating an interesting mobility experience in our customers' daily lives," the company said in a statement.