Construction on the 300 acres in the western Johnson County city began in 2022. Officials have said the $4 billion project is expected to create 4,000 new jobs in the plant. As of July 14, Panasonic has hired 1,100 employees with 88 open positions on its career page.

The company has produced some 19 billion cells since entering the EV sector, providing batteries for some 3.7 million electric vehicles.

General Motors is planning to produce lower-cost battery cells at its joint-venture plant with South Korea's LG Energy Solution in Tennessee.