Images courtesy of Gov. Laura Kelly’s office

On Monday, July 14, Governor Laura Kelly and Lieutenant Governor and Commerce Secretary David Toland joined federal and state officials to celebrate the grand opening of Panasonic Energy’s new electric vehicle (EV) battery manufacturing facility in De Soto—the largest of its kind in the United States.

Panasonic is investing $4 billion in the 300-acre plant, which has already hired about 1,000 employees. The facility marks the largest economic development project in both company and Kansas history. According to an independent Wichita State University study, it is expected to generate $2.5 billion in new annual economic activity for the state.

The project is projected to create up to 4,000 direct jobs, support an additional 4,000 supplier and community business jobs, and result in approximately 16,500 construction jobs.

Located in De Soto’s Astra Enterprise Park, the advanced facility houses eight battery production lines—four in each of two wings—and is capable of producing about 66 lithium-ion batteries per second. The design also includes dedicated areas for shipping, packing, and vendor operations to support Panasonic’s broader supply chain.

To mark the occasion, Governor Kelly proclaimed Monday as “Panasonic Day” across Kansas.