| 1979 |
Matsushita
Battery Industrial Co., Ltd. is established |
| 1980 |
Introduces
warranted manganese dry batteries |
| 1981 |
Alkaline
Storage Battery Division is established |
| Holds
50th anniversary of battery production under the theme "Review
and New Progress" |
| 1982 |
Tokyo
Engineering Center is opened |
| Introduces
compact sealed lead-acid batteries for video cameras |
| Welcomes
the 500,000th visitor to the company's dry battery production
facilities |
| IMCC
is established in India |
| 1983 |
Introduces
the Ultra-Neo alkaline dry battery |
| New
Ni-Cd battery production facility at the Tsujido factory
is completed |
| Establishes
a new research and development laboratory |
| 1984 |
Introduces
the BR211 pin-type lithium battery, the smallest lithium
battery in the world |
| Develops
a carbon-lithium rechargeable coin-cell |
| Installs
the industrial solar power generating system for industrial
use at the Hamanako factory under the sunshine project |
| 1985 |
Introduces
lithium battery packs for cameras |
| Develops
the SM series, new high-capacity Ni-Cd batteries |
| Develops
copper-oxide lithium batteries |
| Introduces
CAR C-ACT automotive batteries |
| Begins
in-house production of zinc-air batteries |
| 1986 |
The
world's first mass production of Sunceram solar cells begins |
| Mr.
Taro Ishibashi is appointed president |
| Company's
total production of automotive batteries reaches 30 million
units |
| 1987 |
MGBI
is established in Indonesia |
| Establishes
Solar Battery Division |
| Introduces
the ultra-alkaline and Panasonic alkaline batteries in Japan |
| MUTEC
is established in U.S.A. |
| 1988 |
New
factory building of the Alkaline Battery Division is completed |
| Product
showroom called "Battery World" opens |
| 1989 |
Develops
nickel metal hydride battery |
| 1990 |
Former
president Mr. Kuninori Azuma passes away |
| Develops
vanadium lithium rechargeable coin-cell |
| 1991 |
Materials
Division is established |
| Annual
sales exceed 200 billion yen |
| The
first building of the Wakayama factory of the Alkaline Storage |
| Battery
Division is completed |
| Introduces
mercury-free manganese battery |
| MASBAC
(Sealed-Lead Acid Battery Factory) is established in U.S.A. |
| Engages
in transfer of mercury-free alkaline battery technology
to Rayovac |
| 1992 |
Establishes
Power Supply Equipment Division |
| Introduces
mercury-free alkaline batteries |
| MBI
Technology Academy opens |
| Develops
nickel metal hydride batteries for electric vehicles (EV) |
| Konosuke
Matsushita Memorial Hall opens to commemorate the 60th anniversary
of in-house dry battery production |
| The
second building of Wakayama factory of the Alkaline Storage
Battery Division is completed |
| Mr.
Shiro Donishi is appointed president |
| Total
sales of dry batteries reaches 50 billion units |
| The
mercury-free alkaline battery receives "Good Design"
product award from the ministry of international trade and
industry |
| AMB
is established in Indonesia |
| 1993 |
Matsushita
Micro Battery Co., Ltd., becomes a division of MBI |
| EV
Battery Development Center is established |
| PMBC
establishes Portable Rechargeable Battery Division |
| SIMB
is established in China |
| MBIA
is established in U.S.A. |
| PMBP
is established in Poland |
| 1994 |
Develops
lithium ion rechargeable battery |
| MBIA-BC
(alkaline storage battery factory) is established in Mexico |
| MBIA-LD
(lithium cylindrical battery factory) is established in
U.S.A. |
| SLMB
is established in China |
| NTCM
is established in Taiwan |
| 1995 |
Introduces
high-current alkaline batteries |
| ANMATSU
is established in China |
| Develops
the Super 300 nickel metal hydride battery |
| Introduces
mercury-free manganese batteries |
| MBIA-MD
(DI can factory) is established in U.S.A. |
| ZMB
is established in China |
| 1996 |
Introduces
new alkaline batteries |
| Mr.
Yukinobu Yasuda is appointed president |
| PBI
is established in Indonesia |
| TMB
becomes independent from NTC in Thailand |
| PEVE
(EV joint venture company with Toyota) is established in
Japan |
| 1997 |
SLMB
China begins full-scale production of sealed lead-acid batteries |
| First
in Matsushita Battery Industrial Group, MGBI earns ISO14001,
the international standards for environmental management |
| TMB
Thailand begins manufacturing and marketing of batteries |
| Achieves
70 billion cumulative dry battery production |
| Lithium
& Micro Battery Division is divided into two separate
divisions (Lithium & Micro Battery Division and Lithium
Ion Battery Division factory) |
| 1998 |
MBIA-MX
Sealed Lead Acid factory is established in Mexico |
TAIMATSU
(Taiwan) begins package production of
Lithium-ion Rechargeable Batteries |
| Introduces
the ultra thin (0.5mm) coin cell Lithium battery |
| Mass
production begins on High Power Nickel Metal Hydride Batteries
for high drain applications |
| Panasonic
achieves cumulative worldwide production and sales of 80
billion dry cell batteries |
| 1999 |
| MBIA
of America achieves Environmental Management System Registration
to ISO14001. |
| MBIA
de Mexico S.A. de C.V. holds official grand opening ceremony
for Sealed Lead Acid Battery factory in Reynosa, Mexico. |
| 2000 |
Production
of Alkaline AA size Dry batteries in Brazil. |
| Introduces
new AAAA size NiMH batteries. |
| Introduces
lead batteries for advanced EV's. |
| Produces
Alkaline AA size dry batteries in Thailand. |
| 2001 |
Panasonic
signs license agreement expanding commitment to recycle
Ni-MH and Li-Ion rechargeable batteries. |
| Lithium-Ion
prismatic CGA series added to product line. The aluminum
case provides a thin, lightweight power solution. |
| Panasonic
expands line-up of Lithium BR coin cells for tire pressure
monitoring systems. |
| 2002 |
Mr.
Toru Ishida is appointed as president. |
| MBI
is now comprised of two division companies named “Primary
Battery Company” and “Rechargeable Battery Company”. |
| 2004 |
Introduces
Oxyride
Batteries. |
| PBW
begins production of Lithium Ion Batteries. |
| Panasonic
Storage Battery Co., Ltd. Is established in Japan. |
| Portable
Rechargeable Battery Business Unit and System Power Supply
Strategic Business Unit is established. |
