Panasonic Energy Co., Ltd., a Panasonic Group Company, has signed a long-term agreement with H&T Recharge (H&T), a battery component manufacturer from Marsberg, Germany.

Accordingly, the agreement covers the supply of lithium-ion battery cans in North America, to expand its production of safe EV batteries.

Panasonic Energy and H&T have collaborated since 2017. Specifically, with H&T supplying approximately 40GWh of battery can capacity annually to Panasonic Energy’s Nevada facility.

Thus, the new agreement will extend H&T’s supply to Panasonic Energy’s Kansas facility, which will likely begin operations by March 2025.

Advanced Manufacturing Facilities

H&T plans to further enhance productivity and quality by implementing new state-of-the-art production lines. Particularly, employing systems that will allow them to supply battery cans with an anticipated annual capacity of approximately 30GWh to the Kansas facility.

To meet the growing global demand for EVs, Panasonic Energy remains committed to expanding the production of EV batteries and improving their performance and durability, thereby extending driving range. Ensuring safety is also crucial, particularly in terms of mitigating thermal runaway incidents for installation in EVs. To this end, the company designed and manufactured lithium-ion batteries using components optimized for the entire cell. This includes battery cans to reduce the incidence of issues such as cell rupture and ignition.

Complementing this commitment to safety, H&T possesses unique in-house deep drawing press and tool design capabilities. Also, its several decades of high-volume serial can manufacturing experience.

Moreover, the company employs full automation to its key processes in the production line concepts in North America. Thus, ensuring stable and efficient mass production and consistent quality.

Panasonic Energy’s partnership with H&T is part of the company’s strategy to strengthen its supply chains in North America by increasing the level of local procurement of battery components. This will in turn reduce both the company’s carbon footprint and its transportation costs as H&T plans to have a facility in Kansas as well.

Leveraging its advanced battery technology and extensive expertise, Panasonic Energy is committed to working with diverse partners to further develop the global lithium-ion battery industry, with the ultimate aim of helping to achieve a more sustainable society.