Group 1 - Panasonic Holdings plans to reduce the cost of lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles by approximately 40% by the fiscal year 2035, aiming to enhance cost efficiency across the electric vehicle supply chain [1][3] - The company will focus on optimizing core materials and production processes, with nickel as a key component that accounts for about 40% of the total battery cost. Panasonic aims to reduce nickel usage by over 40% by around 2030 and simplify battery processing to cut costs [1][3] - Panasonic Energy intends to expand production scale and improve factory operational efficiency to leverage economies of scale, targeting a battery cost of less than $60 per kilowatt-hour [1][3] Group 2 - Tesla, as a major customer, plays a crucial role in Panasonic's ability to achieve its cost reduction goals, as the sales performance of Tesla directly impacts battery order volumes and production loads [3] - The average price of battery packs, including those for electric vehicles and energy storage systems, is projected to drop to about one-seventh of 2013 levels by 2024, with electric vehicle battery packs expected to fall below $100 per kilowatt-hour [3] - Currently, Panasonic Energy does not produce lithium iron phosphate batteries due to limitations in capacity and performance, but plans to enhance the competitiveness of its nickel-based batteries to maintain and expand its market share in the electric vehicle battery sector [3]