Toyota announces plans for new NiMH battery plant

Toyota today released further details about one of its new battery plants in Japan. The plant, to be operated by Panasonic EV Energy (the joint venture between Toyota and Panasonic), is planned to be constructed in Taiwa-cho, Kurokawa-gun, Miyagi Prefecture north of Tokyo. The $290 million plant is expected to start turning out 100,000 nickel metal hydride batteries a year in early 2010. Eventually it will ramp up to twice that number to help supply the needs of the one million hybrids that Toyota hopes to be producing annually by the end of the next decade.
[Source: Toyota]
May 27, 2008
Panasonic EV Energy Co., Ltd.


Panasonic EV Energy Plans HV Battery Plant in Miyagi Prefecture

KOSAI, Shizuoka Prefecture-Panasonic EV Energy Co., Ltd. (PEVE) announced today that
it plans to establish a plant in Japan's Miyagi Prefecture to increase PEVE's supply of
batteries for hybrid vehicles.

Details are as follows:

1. Prospective location: Taiwa Ryutsu Kogyo Danchi (logistics & industrial
park), Taiwa-cho, Kurokawa-gun, Miyagi Prefecture

2. Start of operations: Beginning of 2010 (scheduled)

3. Product lineup: Nickel-metal hydride batteries for hybrid vehicles

4. Production capacity: Approx. 200,000 battery packs a year (approx. 100,000
packs a year at start-up)

5. Investment: Approximately 30 billion yen

The new plant is expected to create approximately 300 jobs.