Panasonic

Konosuke Matsushita founds Matsushita Electric Housewares Manufacturing Works in Osaka — initial product was an attachment plug for sockets. Battery business launches a decade later: National-brand bicycle lamp battery introduced 1923, dry-cell mass production from 1931. Foundational chemistry expertise that would later carry Panasonic into NiCd, NiMH, and ultimately the Li-ion era.

Toyota and Matsushita launch joint venture Panasonic EV Energy (PEVE) for NiMH battery production for Prius — early hybrid electrification base that compounds into automotive battery scale and customer relationships. PEVE later becomes Primearth EV Energy in 2010 and supplies all Toyota hybrids globally.

Initial cylindrical 18650 cell supply agreement signed with Tesla Motors for the original Roadster and forthcoming Model S — first Tier-1 automaker / cell-maker exclusivity. Approximately 7,000 cells per Model S battery pack, with cells sourced from Suminoe and Osaka Japanese plants until US Gigafactory comes online in 2017.

Acquired Sanyo Electric for ~$4.6B in tender offer — Sanyo's lithium-ion cell business in Sumoto and Osaka brings Panasonic to ~30% global Li-ion share, the world's largest cylindrical cell maker. Without the Sanyo capabilities (cylindrical know-how, Suminoe plant), the 2014 Tesla Gigafactory Nevada partnership would not have been possible.

Signed Gigafactory Nevada partnership with Tesla — exclusive cylindrical 18650 (then 2170 from 2017) cell supplier for Model S/X/3, $1.6B initial Panasonic commitment for cell manufacturing equipment inside Tesla's Reno facility. Co-located cell production beside pack assembly was unprecedented in the industry; sets blueprint for later co-located OEM/cell-maker JVs (Ultium Cells, BlueOval SK, NextStar Energy).

First 2170 cells (21mm diameter x 70mm length) rolled off the Gigafactory Nevada line for the Tesla Model 3 — co-developed format that traded the 18650's commodity scale for a 50% increase in cell-level energy. Each Model 3 long-range pack uses ~4,416 cells versus ~7,100 in Model S — a packaging revolution.

Gigafactory Nevada reached annualised 35 GWh production rate (full Phase 1) — sufficient to support ~1.3M Tesla Model 3 battery packs annually. The world's first "giga-scale" cell line and the template for every dedicated EV cell plant since.

Sold remaining stake in Tesla solar JV; Tesla diversified to LG and CATL — the cell-supply exclusivity ended. Panasonic now competes for Tesla allocation alongside CATL (Shanghai) and LG (Berlin). Strategic loss but frees Panasonic to court Lucid, Mazda, and Stellantis programs.

Unveiled prototype 4680 cell for Tesla — five-fold energy increase versus 2170, ~40% range increase per pack at vehicle level if format converted at parity volume. Pilot line at Wakayama, Japan; first deliveries to Tesla begin 2023.

Announced $4B De Soto, Kansas plant — 30 GWh/yr 4680 cell capacity for Tesla. Largest Panasonic capex commitment since the original Reno Gigafactory; production targeted Q1 2025, ramps slip to 2027 amid Tesla 4680 demand reset.

Kansas Gigafactory eligible for IRA Section 45X cell + module production credits — estimated $30/kWh + $10/kWh = $40/kWh subsidy on ~30 GWh/yr capacity, ~$1.2B annual benefit at full ramp. Materially de-risks the $4B Panasonic capex commitment.

Began commercial 4680 cell shipments from Wakayama pilot line in Japan — initial volumes <1 GWh/yr to Tesla. Confirms Panasonic's dual-format strategy (2170 + 4680) and validates the manufacturing-process transferability to De Soto Kansas plant.

Delayed full 4680 ramp at De Soto and abandoned a planned third U.S. plant amid Tesla demand reset — Tesla 4680 demand undershoots 2022 expectations, Cybertruck volumes <50% of internal targets. Panasonic capex pruning shifts $2B forward investment to FY 2026/2027.

Lucid Motors signed multi-year cell supply contract for Lucid Air and Gravity programs — first major non-Tesla automotive customer for Panasonic North America. 2170 cell supply from Reno; volumes ramp with Gravity Q4 2024 launch.