Panasonic Energy Co., Ltd. will be building one of the largest electric vehicle (EV) battery manufacturing facilities in the country right here in the neck of our woods near De Soto, Kansas.
The $4 billion project is estimated to create up to 4,000 new jobs, with an additional 4,000 supplier and community business jobs + 16,500 construction jobs. This project marks the largest economic development project in Kansas history.
“As the largest private investment in Kansas history and one of the largest EV battery manufacturing plants of its kind in the country, this project will be transformative for our state’s economy.” said Kansas Governor Laura Kelly.
With the automotive industry shifting to more sustainable electric technologies, the facility will create and supply lithium-ion batteries for Tesla vehicles.
“With the increased electrification of the automotive market, expanding battery production in the US is critical to help meet demand,” said Kazuo Tadanobu, President + CEO of Panasonic Energy. “Given our leading technology and depth of experience, we aim to continue driving growth of the lithium-ion battery industry and accelerating towards a net-zero emissions future.”
The Kansas City region is the third fastest-growing tech market in the US, and is continuing to grow its engineering, technology, and automotive manufacturing expertise with projects such as the $800 million Meta data center.
“Panasonic Energy made the right choice to select the Kansas City region due to our market’s strengths in EV and tech innovation,” said Tim Cowden, President and CEO of the Kansas City Area Development Council. “This announcement, alongside FIFA’s selection of KC as 2026 World Cup host city, our new single-terminal airport coming online, and global tech companies investing in the market, reinforces the transformational success our region is having on a global scale.”
A timeframe for the completion of the project has not yet been disclosed.