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Panasonic Energy to Supply 2170 Battery Cells for Zoox Robotaxis Under New Multi‑Year Deal Starting in 2026

Initial shipments will come from Japan with a planned move to a Kansas plant to support Zoox’s scale-up using cells Panasonic touts for safety.

Overview

  • Deliveries are scheduled to begin in early 2026 to power Zoox’s purpose-built robotaxi fleet under a confirmed multi-year agreement.
  • Cell supply will originate from Japan with production planned to expand to Panasonic Energy’s Kansas facility for U.S. deployments.
  • The 2170 cylindrical lithium-ion cells are promoted for high energy density, safety, and reliability, with Panasonic citing about 20 billion EV cells shipped without battery-attributed vehicle recalls.
  • The partnership supports Zoox’s commercialization push, including a Hayward, California serial production site and a fully driverless ride-hailing service launched in Las Vegas.
  • Both companies frame the deal as positioning for rapid category growth, referencing research that projects the global robotaxi market to reach roughly $40–50 billion by 2030.