Panasonic announced that it intends to build a new campus in Reno, Nevada that will handle training, research and development, employee recruitment and other support functions.
The new campus is planned to open in the spring of 2022, and will be only 25 miles from Tesla’s Giga Nevada in Sparks, Nevada, according to InsideEVs.
Giga Nevada produces battery cells, Model 3 electric motors, battery packs, various energy storage products, and more recently the Tesla Semi.
Panasonic has worked alongside Tesla at the Nevada facility for almost seven years.
Panasonic, of course, is Tesla’s battery supplier and works with Tesla at Giga Nevada, producing 2170-cylindrical battery cells.
The company plans to continue operations at Giga Nevada. At the same time, the new location will expand local engineering capacity, talent acquisition and upskilling.
In September 2020, Panasonic announced it would increase operations at Giga Nevada. The company increased staffing by about 100 positions.
The company did not elaborate on how many new jobs would open up at the new campus. However, it is clear that Panasonic is looking to increase its overall expertise in the ever-expanding EV market.
Panasonic builds around 37 GWh of 2170-cylindrical cells at Giga Nevada that power Tesla Model Y’s and Model 3’s. Overall, the company continues to expand their battery capacity and, as of their Q3 2021 Earning’s Call, produces 50 GWh globally.
