Davids Welcomes Panasonic to Johnson County

Statement

Today, Representative Sharice Davids welcomed the announcement that Panasonic Energy's application to build an electric vehicle battery plant in Kansas has been approved and a potential site in De Soto, Kansas has been selected. Davids worked closely with Governor Laura Kelly and local leaders in government and business to help attract the $4 billion investment, which is expected to create 4,000 jobs.

"I'm excited to welcome Panasonic to Johnson County! This was a collaborative effort that I'm grateful to be a part of, and it's going to have an amazing impact on our local economy--creating good jobs and attracting other advanced industry to our area," said Davids. "Bringing more manufacturing home to the U.S. is a major priority of mine, particularly as we work to address inflation, and there's no better place than right here in the Third District to make that happen."

The Panasonic facility is expected to produce lithium-ion batteries for electric automakers, helping to lower production costs and boost vehicles' driving range. Panasonic Energy is already the #1 lithium-ion battery supplier in the global market for hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and full-electric vehicles, and this project will expand its U.S. capacity and result in an additional $2.5 billion in economic activity per year in Kansas.

"Kansas has an impressive history of being home to a skilled manufacturing workforce," said Kris Takamoto, Executive Vice President of Panasonic Energy Co., Ltd., Head of EV Battery Business. "We appreciate Kansas's dedication to sustainability and its commitment to and growth in the clean and renewable energy space."

Davids has been working to address supply chain issues and reduce inflation by making more in America, visiting local businesses from battery manufacturers to medical suppliers to the General Motors plant in Wyandotte County that idled last year due to the chip shortage. She is a negotiator on a major, bipartisan economic package that would boost manufacturing, including through investments in domestic semiconductor "chip" production. That package also includes Davids' amendment, which would ensure small businesses are considered in upgrades to our medical supply chain, not just big corporations.

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