Japanese electronics manufacturer Panasonic has said it will increase its battery module manufacturing presence in Mexico from one plant to three by fiscal year 2028, as part of a broader push into the data center energy storage market.
– Panasonic
The Japanese firm said that it had allocated ¥350bn ($2.1bn) to its Panasonic Energy division for AI data center energy storage investment across fiscal years 2026 to 2028. The allocation makes up the bulk of its ¥500bn ($3.1bn) AI infrastructure budget.
The location or cost estimates for the two Mexican facilities have not been disclosed. The sites are expected to be operational in 2027 and 2028. The company currently operates one plant in General Escobedo, Nuevo León, through Panasonic Energy Mexico.
The Mexican sites will be for assembly purposes only, with the actual cells produced at Panasonic's facility in De Soto, Kansas, as part of a unified North American manufacturing plan. Part of the Kansas plant will also be dedicated to AI data center components from 2028. In addition, the company has said that it will convert a vehicle production facility in Osaka into a lithium battery and supercapacitor plant.
