This month, Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota) and Panasonic
Corporation (Panasonic) announced an agreement to begin studying
the feasibility of a joint automotive prismatic battery
business.
This agreement between our two companies aims to help find
solutions to pressing societal issues such as global warming, air
pollution, the depletion of natural resources and energy security.
Furthermore, this agreement is intended to address growing demand
and expectations for electrified vehicles. In order to realize
these objectives, Toyota and Panasonic target further advancements
in automotive batteries, which are crucial technologies in
electrified vehicles.
Since Toyota and Panasonic began our business relationship in
1953, the two companies have been challenging each other with the
goal of mutual improvement, particularly in honing their
manufacturing capabilities (monozukuri). With the business
environment undergoing drastic change, both companies have realized
the importance of collaborating with trusted partners and looking
past conventional boundaries to contribute to the world through
monozukuri and creating new value.
Through activities such as launching the Prius, the world's
first mass production hybrid vehicle (HV), in 1997, and the Mirai
fuel cell vehicle (FCV) in 2014, Toyota has a record of taking on
difficult challenges in its effort to realize a sustainable
mobility society. Leveraging the know-how and experience
accumulated through the continuous refinement and commercialization
of its electrification technologies, Toyota is working on the
development of a full range of environmentally friendly vehicles
including HVs, PHVs (plug-in hybrid vehicles), FCVs, and EVs
(electric vehicles) that fit the needs of customers' lifestyles
worldwide.
Panasonic has positioned automotive lithium-ion batteries as one
of our key businesses, and our automotive batteries are used by
many automakers worldwide. Panasonic's technological capabilities
which achieve various requirements for such batteries are well
regarded in the market. The company is making efforts to further
enhance the safety and capacity of its automotive prismatic
batteries, making use of our accumulated technological knowledge in
the battery business.
Toyota and Panasonic recognize the importance that further
advancements in battery performance, price and safety, as well as a
stable supply capacity, will have on encouraging further
popularization of electrified vehicles. Both companies will
consider details of the collaboration with the aim of achieving the
best automotive prismatic battery in the industry and, ultimately,
contributing to the popularization of Toyota's and other
automakers' electrified vehicles.
