Leveraging Experience to Power a Flagship Eco-Car

This marks the first time the Panasonic Group will supply batteries for a mass-produced plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHV),

The Panasonic Group is strengthening its development and business of secondary batteries for environmentally friendly vehicles, which are predicted to expand rapidly due to growing environmental awareness and rising oil prices. The company has already supplied nickel-metal hydride batteries and systems for hybrid vehicles to multiple automakers both domestically and internationally. Furthermore, Panasonic is actively engaged in joint development with automakers for lithium-ion battery systems for hybrid vehicles.

Batteries, and PHVs equipped with them, are expected to play a crucial role not only in environmental protection but also in household power supply and storage, especially in light of current concerns surrounding nuclear power. As Panasonic states, "We will accelerate the development and commercialization of even higher-performance batteries and strive to expand our global business in batteries for environmentally friendly vehicles," signaling a significant shift in the very nature of battery products.