Panasonic, a top player in infotainment systems and batteries for electric vehicles, is muscling into the fast-growing market for autonomous-drive cars.
The company intends to exploit its deep expertise in cameras and cockpit displays to gain a foothold. Last month, Panasonic announced plans to boost sales of safety technology by 52 percent to nearly $4 billion in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2019.
As if that weren’t enough, the Japan-based mega-supplier is helping Tesla Motors build its EV-battery factory in Nevada — a project that gained a sense of urgency this month when Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced 325,000 preorders for the Model 3 sedan.