Subaru Corporation and Panasonic Energy Co., Ltd. have started talks to build a medium- to long-term partnership to meet demand for battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) and automotive batteries in a rapidly expanding market.

Subaru and Panasonic Energy will hold discussions with a view to Panasonic Energy supplying Subaru with next-generation automotive cylindrical lithium-ion batteries, and Subaru installing batteries purchased from Panasonic Energy in BEVs to be produced from the latter half of the 2020s at its sites, including a dedicated BEV plant scheduled to be constructed in Gunma, Japan.

Subaru is accelerating its electrification and other initiatives by setting a roadmap toward 2050. Panasonic Energy will work to achieve this goal as a partner by supplying its high-quality, high-performance cylindrical lithium-ion batteries, which have had a successful track record in the market for years.