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Tesla battery partner Panasonic debunks rumors about alleged Gigafactory 1 conflicts

(Credit: Teslarati)

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Panasonic Corporation President Kazuhiro Tsuga effectively debunked speculations alleging that the Japanese company’s relationship with American electric car maker Tesla is on the rocks. During a recent Q&A session, Tsuga explained the dynamic between Tesla and Panasonic, as well as his insights about the idea of the electric car maker utilizing another battery supplier for Gigafactory 3.

The relationship between Tesla and Panasonic was thrown into question following a report from the Nikkei Asian Review last month, which alleged that the Japanese company was freezing its investments in Gigafactory 1. Tesla responded to the report, stating that there is far more output to be gained by improving the existing production lines in the Nevada-based factory. Elon Musk took to Twitter as well, stating that Panasonic’s lines at Gigafactory 1 are only operating at ~24 GWh per year despite having a theoretical capacity of 35 GWh.

Musk’s tweets were promptly interpreted as a “public battle” with Panasonic. Craig Irwin of Roth Capital Partners noted that “Tesla and Panasonic need couples counseling ASAP,” adding that “this is looking like a much more acrimonious relationship.” Tsuga, for his part, mentioned that Tesla and Panasonic maintain a “very good relationship between ourselves” during the Q&A session. Explaining further, the Panasonic President pointed out that the two companies have always been candid with each other, especially when it comes to investments in facilities such as Gigafactory 1.

“(In) the earlier session with the media, there was a question as to (whether) we have (a) bad relationship, (or if) we’re not getting along with Tesla. Well, we are making sure that we have a partnership relationship, not a supplier relationship. And since we are partners, we are very frank and candid and honest to each other. So on this battery business, as for the investment facilities — for the facilities that we have invested, can we maintain the battery operation with the orders coming in? From Tesla’s point of view, with the batteries being supplied, they can manufacture their vehicles on a full capacity basis.

“Unless that is established, this would not be a win-win relationship. In the past, what hurt us (was) that we were told that ‘This is the capacity you’ll need,’ but we couldn’t sell that much batteries. That’s the worst case. And that sense, Tesla is purchasing everything that we manufacture. And they have not just the electric vehicles but they do have the storage batteries as well, and they are asking for the capacity increase all the time. And therefore, we have capacity but not being produced. That situation is not envisioned for Gigafactory for now. So I think we have a very good relationship between ourselves,” Tsuga said.

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Other concerns that were brought forward on the heels of the Nikkei report were Panasonic’s speculated issues about Tesla’s potential local battery partner in Gigafactory 3. Tesla is speculated to utilize a local battery supplier for the Shanghai-based electric car production facility, a strategy that analysts such as Cairn Energy Research Advisors managing director Sam Jaffe believed would irk Panasonic. “Tesla is starting to flirt with other battery makers in China, and Panasonic doesn’t like that,” Jaffe said in a statement to the Los Angeles Times.

Panasonic President Tsuga expressed a completely different sentiment about the topic, noting that it makes sense for Tesla to adopt a multiple supplier model for Gigafactory 3. “Now because of what happens in China, Tesla is considering a multiple supplier structure, which makes sense for Tesla maybe given the very special nature of doing business in China, and maybe they need to have that structure so as to be approved by China authority. So on the part of Tesla, they might prefer — they might start considering getting multiple suppliers, but that doesn’t mean that our relationship is being hurt and is being unstable, no. We continue to have very solid, very strong relationship with Tesla,” Tsuga said.

Panasonic and Tesla have been in a close working relationship for years. The Japanese company currently produces the battery cells for Tesla’s vehicles, from the 18650 cells used in the Model S and Model X to the 2170 cells utilized in the Model 3. Considering the recent statements of the Panasonic President, as well as Tesla’s ramp of its existing and upcoming products, it appears that the two companies’ partnership will likely remain strong for some time to come.

Simon is an experienced automotive reporter with a passion for electric cars and clean energy. Fascinated by the world envisioned by Elon Musk, he hopes to make it to Mars (at least as a tourist) someday. For stories or tips--or even to just say a simple hello--send a message to his email, simon@teslarati.com or his handle on X, @ResidentSponge.

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Energy

Tesla Energy is the world’s top global battery storage system provider again

Tesla Energy captured 15% of the battery storage segment’s global market share in 2024.

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla Energy held its top position in the global battery energy storage system (BESS) integrator market for the second consecutive year, capturing 15% of global market share in 2024, as per Wood Mackenzie’s latest rankings.

Tesla Energy’s lead, however, is shrinking, as Chinese competitors like Sungrow are steadily increasing their global footprint, particularly in European markets.

Tesla Energy dominates in North America, but its lead is narrowing globally

Tesla Energy retained its leadership in the North American market with a commanding 39% share in 2024. Sungrow, though still ranked second in the region, saw its share drop from 17% to 10%. Powin took third place, even if the company itself filed for bankruptcy earlier this year, as noted in a Solar Power World report. 

On the global stage, Tesla Energy’s lead over Sungrow shrank from four points in 2023 to just one in 2024, indicating intensifying competition. Chinese firm CRRC came in third worldwide with an 8% share.

Wood Mackenzie ranked vendors based on MWh shipments with recognized revenue in 2024. According to analyst Kevin Shang, “Competition among established BESS integrators remains incredibly intense. Seven of the top 10 vendors last year struggled to expand their market share, remaining either unchanged or declining.”

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Chinese integrators surge in Europe, falter in U.S.

China’s influence on the BESS market continues to grow, with seven of the global top 10 BESS integrators now headquartered in the country. Chinese companies saw a 67% year-over-year increase in European market share, and four of the top 10 BESS vendors in Europe are now based in China. In contrast, Chinese companies’ market share in North America dropped more than 30%, from 23% to 16% amid Tesla Energy’s momentum and the Trump administration’s policies.

Wood Mackenzie noted that success in the global BESS space will hinge on companies’ ability to adapt to divergent regulations and geopolitical headwinds. “The global BESS integrator landscape is becoming increasingly complex, with regional trade policies and geopolitical tensions reshaping competitive dynamics,” Shang noted, pointing to Tesla’s maintained lead and the rapid ascent of Chinese rivals as signs of a shifting industry balance.

“While Tesla maintains its global leadership, the rapid rise of Chinese integrators in Europe and their dominance in emerging markets like the Middle East signals a fundamental shift in the industry. Success will increasingly depend on companies’ ability to navigate diverse regulatory environments, adapt to local market requirements, and maintain competitive cost structures across multiple regions,” the analyst added.

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Energy

Tesla inks multi-billion-dollar deal with LG Energy Solution to avoid tariff pressure

Tesla has reportedly secured a sizable partnership with LGES for LFP cells, and there’s an extra positive out of it.

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla has reportedly inked a multi-billion-dollar deal with LG Energy Solution in an effort to avoid tariff pressure and domesticate more of its supply chain.

Reuters is reporting that Tesla and LGES, a South Korean battery supplier of the automaker, signed a $4.3 billion deal for energy storage system batteries. The cells are going to be manufactured by LGES at its U.S. factory located in Michigan, the report indicates. The batteries will be the lithium iron phosphate, or LFP, chemistry.

Tesla delivers 384,000 vehicles in Q2 2025, deploys 9.6 GWh in energy storage

It is a move Tesla is making to avoid buying cells and parts from overseas as the Trump White House continues to use tariffs to prioritize domestic manufacturing.

LGES announced earlier today that it had signed a $4.3 billion contract to supply LFP cells over three years to a company, but it did not identify the customer, nor did the company state whether the batteries would be used in automotive or energy storage applications.

The deal is advantageous for both companies. Tesla is going to alleviate its reliance on battery cells that are built out of the country, so it’s going to be able to take some financial pressure off itself.

For LGES, the company has reported that it has experienced slowed demand for its cells in terms of automotive applications. It planned to offset this demand lag with more projects involving the cells in energy storage projects. This has been helped by the need for these systems at data centers used for AI.

During the Q1 Earnings Call, Tesla CFO Vaibhav Taneja confirmed that the company’s energy division had been impacted by the need to source cells from China-based suppliers. He went on to say that the company would work on “securing additional supply chain from non-China-based suppliers.”

It seems as if Tesla has managed to secure some of this needed domestic supply chain.

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Energy

Tesla Shanghai Megafactory produces 1,000th Megapack for export to Europe

The Shanghai Megafactory was able to hit this milestone less than six months after it started producing the Megapack. 

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Credit: Tesla Asia/X

Tesla Energy has announced a fresh milestone for its newest Megapack factory. As per the electric vehicle maker, the Shanghai Megafactory has successfully produced its 1,000th Megapack battery. 

The facility was able to hit this milestone less than six months after it started producing the grid-scale battery system. 

New Tesla Megapack Milestone

As per Tesla Asia in a post on its official accounts on social media platform X, the 1,000th Megapack unit that was produced at the Shanghai Megafactory would be exported to Europe. As noted in a CNEV Post report, Tesla’s energy products are currently deployed in over 65 countries and regions globally. This allows Tesla Energy to compete in energy markets that are both emerging and mature.

To commemorate the 1,000th Megapack produced at the Shanghai Megafactory, the Tesla China team posted with the grid-scale battery with celebratory balloons that spelled “Megapack 1000.” The milestone was celebrated by Tesla enthusiasts on social media, especially since the Shanghai Megafactory only started its operations earlier this year.

Quick Megafactory Ramp

The Shanghai Megafactory, similar to Tesla’s other key facilities in China, was constructed quickly. The facility started its construction on May 23, 2024, and it was hailed as Tesla’s first entry storage project outside the United States. Less than a year later, on February 11, 2025, the Shanghai Megafactory officially started producing Megapack batteries. And by March 21, 2025, Tesla China noted that it had shipped the first batch of Megapack batteries from the Shanghai plant to foreign markets.

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While the Shanghai Megafactory is still not at the same level of output as Tesla’s Lathrop Megafactory, which produces about 10,000 Megapacks per year, its ramp seems to be quite steady and quick. It would then not be surprising if Tesla China announces the Shanghai Megafactory’s 2,000th Megapack milestone in the coming months.

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