Toyota gets Japan gov't certification to produce next-gen EV batteries

Earlier this year, the Toyota Motor Company bought out its longtime partner Panasonic for full ownership of their 28-year-old battery-making joint venture called the Primearth EV Energy Co.

Now, the Japanese government’s Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry has certified the new venture’s production and development plans; basically giving Toyota the green light to contribute in the development of Japan’s BEV industry.

The new venture, which will be officially called Toyota Battery Co. Ltd., has been granted certification for production of next-generation batteries, as well the R&D of solid-state batteries. According to Toyota, they will gradually start production by 2026, with a targeted production scale of up to 9GWh of batteries per year.

This latest investment is aimed to allow Toyota to develop its own batteries for its electrification goals, or even supply batteries to other manufacturers.

Recently, Toyota, Mazda and Subaru have committed to develop carbon-neutral engines, but their hybrid drive systems will still require the use of batteries. It’s likely that the new company will now be the one to supply the needed battery packs for those electrified powerplants.