Kansas moves closer to Panasonic EV battery plant

  • July 4, 2023

U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids, second from left, joined state and local officials to highlight investment of $61 million in road upgrades to serve the $4 billion Panasonic battery plant to be built in De Soto. Davids is conducting a series of meetings to bring local and federal officials together to address infrastructure, education, housing and other challenges raised by the project. (Submitted/Kansas Reflector)

 

In Kansas, where Panasonic chose to site its $4 billion electric vehicle battery manufacturing plant, progress is being made toward its construction.

The most recent event was groundbreaking for a 4.5 mile road needed to handle the surge in traffic around the manufacturing plant, reported the Kansas Reflector. A host of dignitaries helped in the ceremony, including U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids, U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran, Gov. Laura Kelly, De Soto Mayor Rick Walker, Johnson County assistant manager Aaron Otto, Clarkson Construction president Bill Clarkson, and Allan Swan, deputy leader of Panasonic’s Global Mobility Energy Division.

Panasonic chose the Johnson County, Kansas site in a bidding war with Oklahoma and Oklahoma lost.

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Jerry Bohnen