The History of Business

Matsushita Electric Housewares Manufacturing Works is established
Production begins with three staff: owner Konosuke Matsushita, his wife Mumeno, and brother-in-law Toshio Iue

• Bullet-shaped battery-powered bicycle lamp is invented and released
• "Excel Dry Battery" for bullet-shaped bicycle lamp is released

Square-shaped "National Lamp" is released

Komori Dry Battery's factory is taken over and in-house production of dry batteries begins

• The company is reorganized as Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd
• National Storage Battery Co., Ltd. is established
• Matsushita Dry Battery Co., Ltd. is established

Automotive lead-acid batteries are released

Toshio Iue leaves Matsushita Electric

• Sanyo Electric Works is established
• The National trademark and manufacturing rights for bicycle generators are taken over and production begins

SANYO Electric Co., Ltd. is established

Japan's first fully metal-jacketed dry battery "National Hyper" is released

Gas lighters are released
These products pioneered the rise the demand of dry batteries increasing applications

The industry's first rechargeable transistor radio "Cadnica Radio" equipped with Ni-Cd batteries is released

"Cadnica" Ni-Cd batteries are released

Rechargeable "Cadnica Light" is released

Alkaline dry batteries are released

"National Neo Hi-Top" manganese dry batteries are released

"Pananica" Ni-Cd batteries are released

Lithium Primary Batteries (Graphite Fluoride BR Line) are developed

Lithium manganese dioxide batteries are developed

Matsushita Battery Industrial Co., Ltd. is established

Rechargeable Cadnica for portable VTRs Battery Pack NP-1 is released

World's smallest pin-type lithium battery is released

• New high capacity Ni-Cd batteries "SM Series" is developed
• "Carec Act" automotive lead-acid batteries are released

"Ultra Alkali" "Panasonic Alkali" alkaline dry batteries are released

Nickel-metal hydride batteries are developed

"Twicell" nickel-metal hydride batteries are released

Lithium-ion batteries are developed

Mercury-free alkaline dry batteries are released

Mass production of cylindrical lithium-ion batteries begins

Mass production of prismatic lithium-ion batteries begins

• Panasonic EV Energy Co., Ltd. is established
• The joint venture between Matsushita Battery Industrial Co., Ltd., Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd., and Toyota Motor Corporation is established for development, manufacturing and sales of nickel-metal hydride batteries for vehicles

• Nickel-metal hydride battery pack for HEVs is developed
• Nickel-metal hydride battery module for compact EVs is developed

• Nickel-metal hydride battery for HEVs is developed
• Mass production of lithium polymer batteries begins

Mass production of nickel-metal hydride battery modules for HEVs begins

"eneloop" nickel-metal hydride batteries are released

Mass production of high-capacity cylindrical lithium-ion batteries (size: 1865) with nickel oxide cathode material begins

• Panasonic Corporation Energy Company is established
• "Evolta" alkaline dry batteries are released
• "Rechargeable Evolta" nickel-metal hydride batteries are released

Multipurpose lithium-ion battery module is developed

Supply of Cylindrical-type Lithium-ion batteries (size: 1865) for in-vehicle use for a U.S. EV maker begins

Automotive & Industrial Systems Company of Panasonic Group is established

• Panasonic Energy Corporation of North America (PENA) is established
• The industry's smallest pin-type lithium-ion battery is developed

Lead-acid battery business is transferred to GS Yuasa Corporation

• Operation at U.S. Nevada factory begins
  
• Mass production of Cylindrical-type Lithium-ion batteries (size: 2170) for in-vehicle use begins
• "Evolta NEO" alkaline dry batteries are released

• Industrial Solutions Company of Panasonic Group is established
• Panasonic Energy Belgium N.V. realizes the first zero-CO₂ factory* in the Panasonic Group

*Zero-CO₂ factory: A factory that has achieved net-zero CO2 emission through promotion of energy conservation, introduction of renewable energy, and credits

• Prime Planet Energy & Solutions, Inc., a joint venture with Toyota Motor Corporation, is established in the prismatic lithium-ion batteries business for vehicles
• A cumulative total of 200 billion dry batteries are shipped worldwide

• Panasonic Energy Wuxi (PECW) realizes Panasonic's first zero-CO₂ factory in China
• Ethical packaging is introduced for "Evolta Neo" dry batteries
• European consumer battery business unit shares are transferred to the AURELIUS Group 
• The "Energy Company" is launched based on the energy domain of the Industrial Solutions Company, the Tesla energy division of the US Company, and the headquarter's energy technology division

Panasonic Energy Co., Ltd. established as an operating company system. (trade name changed)

Moved dry batteries production site from Moriguchi factory to Nishikinohama factory