Automakers Stellantis and BMW are in talks with Panasonic — the company that supplies batteries to Tesla — about potential new battery plants in North America, according to reports.
Panasonic is an industry leader in cylindrical cells and has been supplying 18650 cells for the Model S sedan and Model X SUV and 2170 cells for the Model 3 and Model Y. Tesla and Panasonic produce 2170 battery cells at Giga Nevada that power the Model 3 sedan and Model Y crossover.
Now, Stellantis and BMW may want in on the action, according to a Wall Street Journal report.
Both companies are talking with Panasonic about potential collaborations, with Stellantis reportedly speaking with the Japanese battery maker about a third factory in North America. Stellantis has already begun the construction of two EV battery factories for North America.
Panasonic’s cylindrical batteries are different from the standard pouch or prismatic batteries used by many electric vehicle producers. For one, they’re smaller, meaning thousands are used in every car. On the other hand, they have high energy density and are relatively safe.
Last year, BMW said that its new generation of electric cars starting in 2025 would be equipped with cylindrical batteries instead of prismatic cells. The automaker also announced plans to construct six new EV battery plants across Europe, China and North America.
Stellantis launches new Ram EV
On Wednesday, Stellantis unveiled an upcoming Ram electric pickup truck that it says will deliver a longer range than its competitors.
The Ram 1500 REV will offer a range of 500 miles, longer than that of GMC’s Hummer EV, Ford’s F-150 Lightning and Rivian’s R1T. It’s also longer than Ram’s current gas-powered full-size trucks.
Tesla has said its Cybertruck, which is expected later this year, will have 500 miles of EV range.
“Ram is one of the most important pillars of our business,” Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares said at the truck’s unveiling at the New York International Auto Show. “We will be able to compete, if not win the battle. It’s all about performance. It’s all about functionalities. It’s all about being competitive.”
The drawback is that the Ram 1500 REV comes with a large 229-kilowatt-hour battery pack – bigger than any all-electric pickup truck that’s currently available or expected from an established automaker. For comparison, a standard 168-kilowatt-hour battery pack has a targeted range of up to 350 miles, the automaker said.
The Ram 1500 REV will offer performance specifications that are in line with or better than its competitors, the company said, including towing of up to 14,000 pounds, a payload of up to 2,700 pounds and class-leading storage in its front truck, also known as “frunk.”
Ram did not reveal pricing for the 1500 REV.
Contact Andrew Kessel at andrew.kessel@proactiveinvestors.com
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