Japan: Toyota May Avoid Future Prius Delays With Panasonic-Sanyo Deal

Oct. 8 (Bloomberg) — Toyota Motor Corp., whose Japanese customers wait eight months to buy a Prius hybrid car, may avoid longer delays in the future thanks to Panasonic Corp.’s pending takeover of Sanyo Electric Co.

As demand grows for electric and gasoline-electric hybrid cars, a shortage of the batteries used in the vehicles may force automakers to compete for supply. Toyota, which aims to offer hybrid versions of all its models sometime after 2020, may find it easier to do so after its partner Panasonic makes Sanyo a subsidiary. Panasonic and Sanyo together account for 80 percent of all batteries used in hybrid vehicles worldwide.
Source: bloomberg.com