https://www.kctv5.com/2025/07/14/panasonic-opens-300-acre-manufacturing-plant-de-soto-kansas/ Skip to content Contests We Are KC 3 Degree Guarantee MyKC Live It's Your Health Advertise With Us Jobs KCTV5 Cares * Watch Live * First Warn 5 Weather * News * Royals * Sports * World Cup to KC * KCTV5 Investigates * KCTV5 Special Reports * Submit Photo * What's On * Home * News + Crime + Fact Check + National + Regional Politics + World Cup to KC + Cinco con Carolina + We the People + Entertainment + Stadium Development + Education * First Warn 5 Weather + 7-Day Forecast + 3 Degree Guarantee + First Warn 5 Radar + First Warn 5 Weather Show + Weather Cams + Alerts + Closings + Mini Meteorologist * KCTV5 Investigates + Diluted + Tax Assessment Trouble + Roger Golubski + Wrongful Convictions + Medical + Consumer * Sports + Kansas City Chiefs + Kansas City Royals + Sporting KC + Hy-Vee Team of the Week + KC Current + Kansas Jayhawks + Kansas State Wildcats + Missouri Tigers + Royals on KCTV5 * Watch Live + Streaming Desk + News You Can Use + Beyond The Headlines + Bill's Weekend Picks + KC Development * MyKC Live + Now Playing + We Are KC + Fur-Ever Home Friday * Station Information + Meet the Team + Contact Us + NextGen TV + Download our Apps + What's On + Careers + Closed Captioning * Submit Photo * Traffic * Hy-Vee Team of the Week * High School Star of the Week * It's Your Health * Your Money * Health * KCTV5 Cares * Job Connection * BBB Consumer Tips * Advertise With Us * NextGen TV * Zeam - News Streams * Circle Country * Gray DC Bureau * InvestigateTV * Watching Your Wallet * PowerNation * Digital Marketing Panasonic opens country's largest EV battery plant in De Soto, Kansas Panasonic opens 300-acre manufacturing plant in De Soto, Kansas By Nathan Brennan Published: Jul. 14, 2025 at 12:53 PM CDT|Updated: 4 hours ago DESOTO, Kan. (KCTV) - The largest electric vehicle battery plant in the United States has officially opened in De Soto, Kansas. Panasonic first broke ground on the project in November 2022 and has started battery production nearly three years later. The factory site spans 300 acres, big enough to fit over 225 football fields. The company said it's already invested more than $4 billion into the project and hired over 1,000 workers. The facility is expected to create up to 4,000 jobs by the time it is fully operational in 2027. De Soto Mayor Rick Walker said the project is a win-win for Panasonic and the city. He said economic activity has been generated from new jobs and sales tax activity will have a significant impact on families in the area. "Being able to provide property tax relief for our citizens, enhance quality of life, parks and trail improvements, perhaps a community center in the not-too-distant future, just a lot of things that make a small city a great place to live," Walker said. 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