Sanyo announced the upcoming construction of a new facility within its Kasai Plant, for the manufacture of hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries. This plant is already a base for the company’s development of HEV-use battery systems. Given the growing public concern for environmental protection, Sanyo is strengthening its business by intensively developing rechargeable batteries for environmentally friendly vehicles, which are expected to see a surge in demand in the coming years. In addition to providing HEV nickel-metal hydride batteries to Ford and Honda, Sanyo has been carrying out joint development with Volkswagen for next-generation nickel-metal hydride battery systems, and lithium-ion battery systems. Sanyo has already installed mass-production equipment at its Tokushima Plant for the manufacture of HEV-use Li-ion batteries, and production is scheduled to begin by the end of 2009.
By building this new facility at the Kasai Plant, Sanyo will be able to ensure a production system to meet demand from multiple automakers in the growing market for HEV-use Li-ion batteries. Initially production will start at one million cells per month, which is expected to expand significantly along with the demand.
