Toyota's supplier

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Toyota's supplier
Published: 5/11/2010 at 12:00 AM
Bangkok Post: Newspaper section: Motoring

Primearth is the production arm for battery packs that power Toyota hybrids. Based in Shizuoka, Japan, and incorporated in 1996 with a registered capital of 20bn; Toyota Motor Corporation holds a controlling 80.5% stake and Panasonic 19.5%.



With 2,800 employees spread over three plants (Omari, Sakaijyuku and Miyagi), Primearth generated 110bn in revenues last year. Accumulative production volume since 1996 till mid-2010 has reached over three million battery packs. Annual production capacity for all three plants is now 1.1 million packs.

Major products made at Primearth are nickel metal-hydride (Ni-MH) battery packs which are used in the Camry Hybrid and new Prius made at Toyota Motor Thailand as well. One Ni-MH pack can be used for 10 years or 240,000 kilometres, according to Primearth, while used packs have to be sent back to Japan for recycling.