Toyota will use Panasonic batteries to assemble my country's hybrid models

According to Reuters, citing people familiar with the matter, Toyota has begun to use Panasonic-designed batteries in some plug-in hybrid models sold in my country. The above-mentioned person familiar with the matter said that Toyota's new Corolla and Levin plug-in hybrid vehicles launched in my country this year use Panasonic cylindrical batteries. Toyota has ordered 50,000 sets of cylindrical lithium-ion batteries. The source said that the size of these batteries is the same as those produced by Panasonic for Tesla, but the composition is different. Due to privacy concerns, the source declined to be named. This move reflects that Toyota is working hard to ensure a stable supply of high-quality batteries as the world accelerates its shift to electric vehicles. According to a person familiar with the matter, Nissan and Panasonic jointly developed this battery in a few years to expand its electric vehicle lineup. In response to this report, a Panasonic spokesperson said the company could not comment as a supplier, while Toyota declined to comment. Toyota prefers square batteries, that is, prismatic batteries, and has already used some of the batteries produced by Panasonic in its hybrid models. In January of this year, the two companies announced a joint statement stating that a joint venture company will be established in 2020 to produce electric vehicle batteries. The investment in the joint venture has not yet been determined, but Toyota will hold 51% of the joint venture, while Panasonic will hold 49%. This joint venture is based on the lithium-ion battery cooperation agreement reached between Toyota and Panasonic at the end of 2017, reflecting the two Japanese companies' desire to become larger global players in the battery industry. The battery industry is critical to the development of low-cost electric vehicles. Toyota and CATL have also established a partnership in the development and supply of batteries for new energy vehicles. Toyota has also established a cooperative relationship with BYD. The two parties will jointly develop electric vehicles and discuss the development of power lithium-ion batteries. In the past year, in order to meet more stringent emission regulations, especially in Europe and my country, global automakers have raced to adjust their zero-emission model lineups and renewed their efforts in electric vehicles (including gasoline hybrids, plug-in hybrids and pure electric vehicles). Cars) sales expectations are fundamentally changed. This requires a large supply of batteries. Toyota’s previous goal is that by 2030, half of its global car sales will be electric vehicles, approximately 5.5 million, including traditional hybrid electric vehicles (HEV), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV), Pure electric vehicles (EV) and hydrogen fuel-powered lithium battery vehicles (FCEV). But Toyota changed its expectations not long ago, and it has advanced its 50% sales target to 2025. Toyota said that the 'penetration rate' of electric vehicles is much higher than it expected when it set its initial target in 2017. Toyota's newly upgraded electrification strategy includes mass production of battery electric vehicles in my country from 2020. It is widely expected that my country will become the world's largest electric vehicle market. Toyota also plans to launch at least 10 battery-powered pure electric vehicles globally by the early 2020s. (Li Jing)