Mazda Breaks Ground For EV Battery Pack Facility

Mazda is about to turn a new page in its history as it enters into an agreement with Yamaguchi Prefecture and Iwakuni City to build a new plant in Iwakuni. 

This will be Mazda’s first facility in Japan in more than three decades since the Hofu No.2 Plant opened back in 1992.

Construction is scheduled to begin in Nov 2025 on a site covering about 190,000 square meters, with operations expected to start in 2027.

The new plant will focus on one of the most important parts of an electric vehicle (EV), the battery. Using cylindrical lithium-ion cells supplied by Panasonic Energy, the facility will assemble them into modules before packaging them into complete battery packs. 

At full capacity, it will be able to produce up to 10 GWh of packs every year, enough to power a large number of Mazda’s future EVs.

For Mazda, this is about more than building a factory. It is a step toward preparing for a world that is quickly moving toward electrification, while holding on to the qualities that have always defined the brand: craftsmanship, reliability and the joy of driving.

The Iwakuni Plant is also designed to support the community around it. Mazda plans to create a safe and comfortable workplace, provide new job opportunities and contribute to the growth of the local economy in Yamaguchi Prefecture.

Looking ahead, the plant will be an important foundation for Mazda’s global move into electrification. By combining advanced battery technology with its tradition of building cars that people love to drive, Mazda hopes its electric future will be just as exciting as its past.