Japanese automaker Mazda revealed plans to build a new module pack plant for automotive cylindrical lithium-ion battery cells in Iwakuni City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan.
The new plant will produce modules and packs of automotive cylindrical lithium-ion battery cells procured from Panasonic Energy. The completed battery packs will be installed in Mazda’s first battery EV that uses a dedicated EV platform and will be manufactured at Mazda’s vehicle plant in Japan. The annual production capacity is planned to be 10 GWh.
Under the 2030 Management Policy, Mazda is steadily preparing for electrification technologies based on the multi-solution strategy that provides a variety of technological options to meet customer needs and regulatory changes, in order to contribute to solving the social issue of curbing global warming.
In the field of batteries, one of the key components of electrified vehicles, the company signed an agreement with Panasonic Energy in May 2023 to procure cylindrical lithium-ion batteries for automotive use, and in September 2024, the plan to expand battery production and technology development through this collaboration was certified by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) as a “plan to ensure stable supply of storage batteries.
Based on the plan, Mazda will provide its customers with its unique battery-electric vehicles that offer a high level of design, convenience and driving range by using the battery module packs produced at the new plant. The plant will also contribute to local employment and economic development.
Mazda will continue to evolve “Joy of Driving” based on the value of “Radically Human” toward the year 2030, and will aim to deliver “Joy of Living” by creating exciting mobility experiences in our customers’ daily lives.
