Tesla supplier Panasonic has announced a new training and research facility near the Gigafactory in Nevada.
Saturday, December 25, 2021 | Chimniii Desk
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Panasonic, the Tesla battery supplier, stated that it will establish a new campus in Reno to house training, research and development, personnel recruitment centres, and other support operations. It is about 25 miles from Tesla's Gigafactory Nevada, where the company manufactures battery cells, Model 3 electric motors, and battery packs, as well as energy storage devices.
Panasonic announced Wednesday the new structure, which will be located at 645 East Plumb Lane. It will be somewhat less than 95,000 square feet in size and will bolster the company's role in the electric vehicle industry's expansion. InsideEVs was the first to report on it.
"Our new plant in Reno demonstrates Panasonic Energy's commitment to changing and growing in order to remain at the forefront of the mobility market," stated Panasonic Energy of North America's President and CEO. "Investing in innovation and workforce development projects in the local community furthers our aim of enabling a sustainable energy future."
Panasonic stated seven years ago that it would manufacture lithium-ion batteries at Gigafactory Nevada in Sparks, Nevada, roughly 25 miles east of the new plant. While operations at Gigafactory 1 will continue, Panasonic wants to use the Reno facility to enhance local engineering capacity, talent acquisition, and upskilling, further strengthening its position in the electric car market.
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Panasonic stated in September 2020 that it would expand activities at Gigafactory Nevada, preparing for a huge ramp that would double the company's presence at the facility. "The expansion will result in an approximately 100-position increase in our workforce. We're excited to continue our commitment in Northern Nevada and our people," Carl Walton, PENA's Vice President of Production Engineering and Facilities, commented.
Panasonic announced during its third-quarter 2021 earnings call that it had increased global capacity for EV battery manufacturing to 50 GWh. Panasonic alone manufactures around 37 GWh of 2170-cylindrical cells at Gigafactory Nevada.
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