As far as the Asian battery market is concerned, Panasonic is the undisputed leader. With a rich history spanning 100 years, Panasonic has been responsible for many impressive product releases and a range of technological advances, as we explore in this article.
1923 – Battery-powered shell lamps
In 1923, Panasonic founder Konosuke Matsushita invented a battery-powered shell lamp in the shape of a cannonball. It was to serve as a light for bicycles and provided up to thirty hours of operation, which was completely transformative at the time.
1927 – Square-shaped lamps
Four years later, Matsushita innovated a square-type handheld lamp that became widely popular in Japan. In spite of the financial hardship the country experienced in the 1930s, Matusishita sold more than six million of his signature lamps per year throughout the decade.
1931 – Incorporation
To meet the demand for his signature products, the Matsushita Electric Company took over the Komori Battery Factory, as well as the Okada Battery Company. Matsushita then opened a new factory in Sangou, which would later become the Panasonic HQ.
1937 – lead-acid batteries for automotives
Matsushita developed a rechargeable battery for civil and then military applications towards the end of the 1930s to support the Japanese war effort. During this time, his company produced the first trial lead-acid battery of its kind – the automobile AR5-6 type.
1954 – The National Hyper
After the outbreak of the Korean war in 1950, demand for battery solutions increased. The company that would become Panasonic created the first “full-metal-jacket” dry battery, which became known as the National Hyper. It opened up new markets in heading, energy, and audio as a result.
1963 – Hi-Top manganese dry batteries
Soon after the release of the National Hyper battery, the company launched the National Hi-Top, which had twice the shelf-life of its counterpart. It was also less likely to leak and was used in electric shavers, calculators, and other tech that was emerging at the time.
1970 – Pananica nickel-cadmium batteries
The Matsushita company started researching the possibility of sealed nickel-cadmium rechargeable batteries as early as 1959. After a decade of development, they were finally released in 1970 and were popular for their enhanced safety features and reliability.
1976 – CAREC maintenance-free batteries for cars
Matsushita Electric pioneered the manufacture of maintenance-free automotive batteries in Japan during the 1970s. In 1976, they were able to release the CAREC 2000, which contained an expanded metal grid in a negative plate. This release transformed the automotive industry in Asia and saw European and American manufacturers take note.
1982 – Lead-acid batteries for video cameras
Driven by the demand for lead-acid colloid batteries, National (as the company was now known) produced a compact lead-acid battery that could be used in video cameras that were increasing in popularity at the time.
1998 – Prismatic-type lithium-ion batteries
By the late nineties, Panasonic was a truly global brand and had come a long way since its humble beginnings. In 1998, the global corporation released its prismatic-type lithium-ion rechargeable batteries, which have become so popular in applications all around the world.
2013 – Solar LED Lantern
By the early 2000s, Panasonic had invested a lot of time and money into solar technology. In 2013, they debuted their award-winning solar LED lantern, which provided hours of illumination without connecting to electricity.
2020 – A global milestone
By 2020, Panasonic had achieved an incredible milestone – they became the first Japanese company to ship a total of 200 billion dry batteries worldwide.
