Panasonic Energy opens $4B electric vehicle battery manufacturing plant in Kansas
Panasonic Energy has opened an electric vehicle battery manufacturing plant in De Soto, Kansas. The company, which produces lithium-ion EV batteries, invested $4 billion in the project and has already created approximately 1,000 new jobs.
The manufacturing facility is located on 300 acres in De Soto’s Astra Enterprise Park and is designed to operate at high capacity, producing roughly 66 lithium-ion batteries per second. The site infrastructure includes two production wings with four battery lines in each, as well as dedicated areas for shipping, packing, and sub-supply vendors. The facility is expected to significantly boost both the regional and state economies, generating up to $2.5 billion in new annual economic activity, and creating an additional 4,000 supplier and community jobs along with 16,500 construction jobs.
What people are saying
In a recent quote, Kazuo Tadanobu, CEO, Panasonic Energy, said, “The opening of our Kansas factory marks a major milestone in our journey to scale advanced battery production in the United States. This achievement would not have been possible without the strong support of our local partners and the State of Kansas. Together, we are accelerating the shift to electrification, reinforcing regional supply chains, and nurturing the next generation of battery talent. This facility represents not only our commitment to the region but also a foundation for long-term collaboration and innovation in the U.S.”
Governor Laura Kelly, Governor of Kansas, added, “Panasonic’s EV battery plant marks a bright new era in Kansas. The monumental effort that has gone into every aspect of this project has culminated in this historic day as the plant begins mass production of EV batteries. It’s hard to overstate what Panasonic’s investment means to Kansas and the value of the partnership that made it possible.”
Manufacturers investing in Kansas
General Motors invests $4B to expand gas and electric vehicle manufacturing facilities in Michigan, Kansas, and Tennessee
The new investment gives GM the ability to assemble more than two million vehicles per year in the U.S.
Merck Animal Health invests $895M to expand manufacturing facility in Kansas
The facility will support large molecule vaccine production and create more than 200 new jobs.
Marvin to open new window and door manufacturing plant in Kansas
Initially, the facility will employ 100 workers, but Marvin hopes to increase that number to 600 workers by 2028.
Investing in American manufacturing in 2025
This map shows where manufacturers are choosing to invest their resources, whether they are building new production facilities or expanding existing plants.
About the Author
Alexis GajewskiAlexis Gajewski
Senior Content Strategist
Alexis Gajewski is a manufacturing writer and editor with nearly 20 years of experience covering the people, practices, and technologies that keep industrial facilities running. For more than a decade, she served as Senior Content Strategist for Plant Services, creating content for plant managers, engineers, and maintenance professionals on a variety of industrial topics.
During her tenure, Alexis worked to develop the brand’s digital strategy and helped launch and produce Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast. She also created The Lighter Side of Manufacturing, a weekly blog that explored the inventive and sometimes humorous side of the industry.
Alexis co-founded Influential Women in Manufacturing, a recognition program that honored 49 women in its first two years, earned an industry award for Best Product Launch, and received a proclamation from Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and a commendation from U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth.
She also led newsroom operations and development at a large media company where she set editorial standards, developed training curriculum, and helped support AI adoption for more than 150 editors across 80+ brands spanning manufacturing, industrial processing, automation, and more.
Additionally, Alexis works as a freelance writer and editor, and her areas of interest include continuous improvement, the skilled workforce, and the role of emerging technology on the plant floor.
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