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Top battery makers are scrambling to reduce cobalt content in
lithium-ion batteries as prices of the mineral have multiplied
over the recent years and the spread of electric vehicles is
expected to result in cobalt shortages eventually.
"We have already cut down cobalt usage substantially," Kenji
Tamura, who is in charge of Panasonic's automotive battery
business, said at a meeting with analysts.
"We are aiming to achieve zero usage in the near future, and
development is underway."
Panasonic is the exclusive battery cell supplier for Tesla's
mass-market Model 3 sedan, producing the cells at their joint
Gigafactory battery plant in Nevada.
Tesla said early this month that battery cells used in Model 3
have achieved the highest energy density while "significantly
reducing cobalt content," as well as increasing nickel content
and still maintaining superior thermal stability.
In addition to the effort to reduce rare mineral content in its
batteries, Panasonic is also trying to sign contracts with
clients "in a way that allows the company to hedge risks of
surging prices of the materials," said Yoshio Ito, the chief of
Panasonic's automotive business.
At Wednesday's meeting, Ito said Panasonic has been working
closely with Tesla and preparing to beef up production of
battery cells as the U.S. electric car maker aims to boost
production of the Model 3 sedan to 5,000 units a week by the end
of June.
(Reporting by Makiko Yamazaki; Editing by Gopakumar Warrier)
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