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

• 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

• SANYO Electric Co., Ltd. is established

• Manganese dry batteries "National Hi-Top" are released

• Alkaline dry batteries are released

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

• 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

• "Pananica" Ni-Cd batteries are released

• Lithium Primary Batteries (Graphite Fluoride BR Line) are developed

• Matsushita Battery Industrial Co., Ltd. is established 

• Lithium manganese dioxide batteries are developed

• 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

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

• Mercury-free manganese batteries are released

• Mercury-free alkaline dry batteries are released

• Lithium-ion batteries are developed

• 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

• Mass production of thin lithium polymer batteries begins

• "Twicell" nickel-metal hydride batteries are released

• Lithium-ion batteries are developed

• Mass production of cylindrical lithium-ion batteries begins

• Mass production of prismatic lithium-ion batteries begins

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

• Oxyride dry 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

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

• "eneloop" nickel-metal hydride batteries are released

• Completion of Suminoe factory

• Mass production of lithium-ion standard battery systems begins

• SANYO Electric Co., Ltd. becomes a wholly-owned subsidiary

• 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