Sanyo to Start Producing Lithium-Ion Battery Packs for Toyota Plug-in Hybrid

Sanyo will begin making hybrid car batteries for Toyota starting in 2011 (Source: Source: Reuters). The lithium-ion battery packs will be made to go into Toyotas upcoming plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. The new production line can produce 300,000 to 400,000 cells a month.

Sanyo will also be making lithium-ion battery packs for 'conventional' hybrids towards the end of the year. In 2010, Sanyo will be capable of building 1.1 million cells a month. Sanyo wants everyone to know they will be ready to cell their batteries to any car maker (Source: Kyodo News) even though they will be owned by Panasonic, which produces batteries for Toyota.

Sanyo currently has a lithium-ion battery plant in Tokushima Prefecture, and is building another in Hyogo Prefecture.