Tesla-battery maker Panasonic may add 4680 battery capacity to Kansas plant
Tesla battery supplier Panasonic Energy is considering pouring new investments potentially up to $4 billion in its De Soto, Kansas, plant to produce 4680 battery cells for the Tesla Cybertruck and Tesla’s next-gen vehicles.
Sources with “direct knowledge of the matter” told Nikkei Asia that the Japanese EV battery maker is considering adding production capacity beyond what is already planned for its new plant.
The plan, dubbed internally as Phase 3, includes building additional production lines at the plant, already costing Panasonic $4 billion, currently under construction. Tesla, its main customer, jointly owns a factory with Panasonic in Nevada.
“No final decision has been made,” the source said, adding that “multiple factors” need to be considered before a decision is made. But the source did say that Panasonic is eyeing new capacity to make a larger, more voluminous 4680 battery, a cylindrical lithium-ion battery boasting an energy capacity five times greater than 2170 batteries.
Tesla and South Korea’s LG Energy Solution are developing 4680 batteries, but Panasonic claims it leads the charge in the technology at this stage.
A decision on the plan is expected to come at the end of the year, as the battery maker is still evaluating the production efficiency of the 4680, which it is testing at its factory in Wakayama, Japan.
Panasonic already plans to build 2170-type cells for EVs in De Soto, its second plant in North America. In 2022, it was expected that the factory would be designated for 4680-type cylindrical battery cells for Tesla’s next-gen models, but Panasonic delayed that project.
Back in January, Panasonic said that the Kansas plant will take its annual battery capacity to 88 GWh a year, with plans to raise that to 200 GWh by early 2031.
Panasonic CTO Shoichiro Watanabe recently told Bloomberg in an interview that the company will deliver on its promise to “quadruple production capacity by the 2030 fiscal year.” And to make that happen, he said the company won’t need to rely on building new factories or pouring large investments into production plans. Rather, “we will expand battery capacity and improve productivity at the same time,” Watanabe said.
Panasonic, whose main US customer is Tesla, produces some 10% of the batteries found in electric vehicles around the world. The company plans to start producing a revised version of its 2170-type cylindrical battery cells, which Tesla uses in its Model 3 and Model Y cars, and increase its battery production output by 10%. Panasonic has also been working to increase the energy density of the 2170 cell, with the company saying that the new improvements could help reduce the overall cost of an EV.
However, the Wall Street Journal reported recently that Panasonic had already spent a large portion of its investment on the plant due to rising construction costs in the US.
Mitsutaka Fujita, a researcher at Techno Systems Research, told Nikkei Asia that Panasonic’s plan reflects Tesla’s “steady demand,” adding “that Tesla “is making a decent profit, even after its price cuts,” especially compared to legacy automakers, which are leaning on hybrids and ICE to make up for “losses in their EV business,” the report said.
Fujita also added that Tesla “desperately” wants more 4680 batteries, presumably for its Cybertruck, Semi truck, and Roadster, the report said, and that the automaker’s own battery production isn’t going as smoothly as planned.
Other automakers are using large-volume cylindrical cells with a diameter of 46 mm, but they use a different format. BMW is also using cylindrical cells with a diameter of more than 80mm in its upcoming Neue Klasse vehicles.
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Tesla’s retro-futuristic diner with Superchargers and giant movie screens is ready to open, and I have to admit, it looks pretty sick.
This project has been in the works for a long time.
In 2018, Elon Musk said that Tesla planned to open an “old school drive-in, roller skates & rock restaurant at one of the new Tesla Supercharger locations in Los Angeles.” It was yet another “Is he joking?” kind of Elon Musk idea, but he wasn’t kidding.
A few months later, Tesla applied for building permits for “a restaurant and Supercharger station” at a location in Santa Monica. However, the project stalled for a long time, apparently due to local regulations.
Nevertheless, Tesla still moved forward with a Supercharger at the location, but it had to move the diner project to Hollywood. In 2022, Tesla filed the construction plans with the city, giving us the first look at what the automaker intends to build.
In 2023, the automaker broke ground on the site of the diner.
7 years after being originally announced, the project appears now ready to open:
Musk said that he ate at the diner last night and claimed that it is “one of the coolest spots in LA.” He didn’t say when it will open, but Tesla vehicles have been spotted at Supercharger and people appear to be testing the dinning experience inside.
A Tesla Optimus Robot can be seen inside the diner on a test rack. It looks like Tesla might use one for some tasks inside the diner.
Earlier this year, Tesla integrated the diner into its mobile app – hinting at some interaction through the app – possibly ordering from it.
Electrek’s Take
I think it looks pretty cool. I am a fan of the design and concept.
However, considering the state of the Tesla community, I don’t think I’d like the vibes. That said, it looks like Tesla isn’t prominently pushing its branding on the diner.
You can come and charge there, but it looks like Tesla is also aiming to get a wider clientele just for dining.
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Hyundai’s electric minivan is finally out in the open. The Staria EV was caught without camo near Hyundai’s R&D center in Korea, giving us a closer look at the electric minivan undisguised.
Hyundai’s electric minivan drops camo ahead of debut
The Staria arrived in 2021 as the successor to the Starex, Hyundai’s multi-purpose vehicle (MPV). Although the Staria has received several updates throughout the years, 2026 will be its biggest by far.
Hyundai will launch the Staria EV, its first electric minivan. Like the current model, the 2026 Staria will be available in several different configurations, including cargo, passenger, and even a camper version.
We’ve seen the Staria EV out in public a few times already. Last month, we got a glimpse of it while driving on public roads in Korea.
Despite the camouflage, new EV-like design elements were visible, including updated LED headlights and a full-length light bar. Although it’s still unclear, the electric version appears to be roughly the same size as the current Staria from the side, but slightly wider from the front.
New images posted on the South Korean forum Clien reveal a test car, expected to be Hyundai’s Staria electric minivan, without camo.
Like most Hyundai test cars, the prototype has a black front and a grey body. It still features a similar look to other prototypes we’ve seen, but you can clearly see the new facelift.
Earlier this year, a Staria EV was spotted in a parking lot in Korea, featuring a similar look. The electric version is nearly identical to the Staria Lounge, but with an added charge port and closed-off grille.
The Hyundai Staria EV is expected to make its global debut later this year. Technical details have yet to be revealed, but it’s expected to feature either a 76 kWh or 84 kWh battery, providing a range of around 350 km (217 miles) to 400 km (249 miles).
Hyundai’s electric SUV arrives after Kia introduced its first electric van, the PV5, which launched in Europe and Korea earlier this year.
In Europe, the Kia Passenger PV5 model is available with two battery pack options: 51.5 kWh and 71.2 kWh, providing WLTP ranges of 179 miles and 249 miles, respectively. The Cargo version has a WLTP range of 181 miles or 247 miles.
Source: TheKoreanCarBlog, Clien
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