日本大廠松下(Panasonic)最近公布了新一季(2014年4~6月)財報，其表現(xiàn)超出大多數(shù)分析師的預(yù)期；同時間該公司也宣布與美國電動車品牌供貨商特斯拉（Tesla）合資，將在美國建立一座超大型電池工廠 Gigafactory。 Panasonic 與Tesla的合作消息對汽車產(chǎn)業(yè)界來說并不是新鮮事，因為Tesla首席執(zhí)行官Elon Musk早就公開向該公司的電池供貨商Panasonic “示愛”，希望Panasonic能與Tesla攜手建立一座鋰離子電池工廠。不過這兩家公司宣布合作的消息中似乎漏了個重點：究竟Panasonic準(zhǔn) 備掏出多少錢在這個超大電池廠的投資案中？ Tesla先前表示，該公司將在2020年投資高達(dá)50億美元來建立電池工廠，目標(biāo)是達(dá)到一年足以供應(yīng)50萬輛電動車的鋰離子電池生產(chǎn)量。根據(jù)與Panasonic的合作協(xié)議，Tesla將負(fù)責(zé)所需土地、建筑以及基礎(chǔ)公用建設(shè)的費(fèi)用，Panasonic只需要為生產(chǎn)電池的機(jī)器設(shè)備買單；不過雙方其他合作細(xì)節(jié)仍在討論階段，包括合資工廠的銷售、營運(yùn)與投資。 此外兩家公司宣布合資的新聞稿也指出：“該Gigafactory將為Tesla的電動車以及固定式蓄電池市場，生產(chǎn)電池芯、模塊與封裝；期望到2020 年，Gigafactory一年能生產(chǎn)35GWh電池芯以及50GWh的電池組，而計劃屆時該廠將聘雇6,500名員工?！? 而Tesla似乎認(rèn)為Gigafactory 的電池產(chǎn)量還不足以供應(yīng)市場需求，該公司在新聞稿中表示將持續(xù)向Panasonic在日本的工廠采購電池芯。現(xiàn)在產(chǎn)業(yè)界所有的目光焦點都轉(zhuǎn)向 Panasonic的下一步行動──對這家日本公司來說，以短、中、長期的眼光來看，與Tesla合資的Gigafactory將會是個多大的包袱？ 有 部分日本電子產(chǎn)業(yè)界消息來源則質(zhì)疑將賭注都下在Tesla身上是否明智？對日本人來說，與Tesla合作的吸引力似乎還遠(yuǎn)不如Toyota。更重要的是，Panasonic的管理高層才剛剛把公司營運(yùn)拉回正軌，該公司打算持續(xù)執(zhí)行嚴(yán)酷的成本削減策略──包括減少固定成本的支出。 很多Panasonic的老員工都對于公司過去大舉投資大尺寸等離子顯示器面板(PDP)的經(jīng)歷記憶猶新，該公司堅持PDP的價值并對抗液晶顯示器(LCD) 多年，但甚至連消費(fèi)者都說看不出兩種顯示技術(shù)存在多大的畫質(zhì)差異。電視曾是Panasonic的驕傲與喜悅，但也動搖了該公司的根本──在2011與 2012會計年度，Panasonic總計達(dá)到15兆日圓(144億美元)的凈虧損。 Panasonic的最新一季財報顯示，該公司的AVC Network部門銷售額成長1%，達(dá)到2,738億日圓，主要是因為核心業(yè)務(wù)表現(xiàn)穩(wěn)定；不過該公司也表示，消費(fèi)性PDP與智能手機(jī)業(yè)務(wù)表現(xiàn)持續(xù)衰退， 也讓公司仍面臨虧損，但虧損程度已經(jīng)由一年前的154億日圓，大幅縮減為81億日圓，主要是得益于企業(yè)重整策略。 對任何一位企業(yè)首席執(zhí)行官來說，注意支出并堅持到底是最容易的部分；對Tesla之Gigafactory的投資，將考驗Panasonic總裁津賀一宏 (Kazuhiro Tsuga)賭注未來、夢想偉大的意愿。在Panasonic高層對Gigafactory投資內(nèi)部意見分歧的此時，該公司的下一步也將測試津賀是否信任自己的判斷，以及在管理團(tuán)隊的統(tǒng)御能力。 本文授權(quán)編譯自EE Times，版權(quán)所有，謝絕轉(zhuǎn)載 編譯：Judith Cheng 參考英文原文：Is Tesla's Gigafactory a Gigablunder for Panasonic?，by Junko Yoshida {pagination} Is Tesla's Gigafactory a Gigablunder for Panasonic? Junko Yoshida TOKYO — Panasonic outperformed the forecasts of most analysts and reported on July 31 a 28 percent increase in operating profit for the latest April-June quarter. The Japanese company, on the same day, announced that it has signed a deal with Tesla on a large-scale battery plant in the United States, known as the Gigafactory. The announcement comes as no surprise to the automotive industry, since Elon Musk had been publicly courting Panasonic -- which already supplies batteries to Tesla -- to join Tesla in building a lithium-ion battery factory. One glaring omission in a joint press release prepared by the two companies, however, is exactly how much Panasonic is prepared to shell out in its Gigafactory investment. Tesla previously said that it will invest up to $5 billion in the factory by 2020, with plans to churn out enough lithium-ion batteries each year to power 500,000 electric vehicles. Under the agreement, Tesla will pay for land, buildings and utilities. Panasonic will only have to foot the bill for the machinery needed to make the battery cells. Still under discussion are details on implementation, including sales, operations and investment, according to the press release. The joint press release also noted: The Gigafactory will produce cells, modules and packs for Tesla's electric vehicles and for the stationary storage market. Plans call for the Gigafactory to produce 35GWh of cells and 50GWh of packs per year by 2020. Tesla projects that the Gigafactory will employ about 6,500 people by 2020. Tesla appears to believe that the Gigafactory won’t be able to produce enough batteries to meet the projected demand for cells. Tesla, according to the press release, will continue to purchase battery cells produced in Panasonic's factories in Japan. All eyes are now on Panasonic, awaiting its next move. The question both inside and outside the Japanese company is this: how big an albatross might the Gigafactory become for Panasonic — in short, medium and long terms. Some Japanese electronics industry sources question the wisdom of going all in with Tesla. As sexy as this partnership might sound, Tesla, in Japanese eyes, is no Toyota. More important, Panasonic’s management team has just put the company back on track. Panasonic plans to continue with its rigorous cost-cutting measures — including a reduction in fixed costs. Fresh in the memory of many Panasonic veterans is the company’s huge investment in mammoth factories for large-screen Plasma Display Panels. Panasonic, who was betting against LCD, insisted for years on the merits of PDP, even when consumers were saying that they saw no discernible quality differences between the two rival flat panel technologies. Panasonic’s struggle with its TV business, once the company’s pride and joy, shook the company to its core. Between fiscal 2011 and 2012, Panasonic racked up group net losses totaling a 1.5 trillion yen ($14.4 billion). In Panasonic’s latest quarter, the company’s AVC Network sales increased by 1% to 273.8 billion yen from 270.6 billion yen a year ago, due mainly to stable sales in core businesses, Panasonic added, however, that sales of PDPs and smartphones for consumers decreased, as it winds down both businesses. In fact, Panasonic continues to suffer from losses in this segment. However, at 8.1 billion yen, numbers were significantly improved from a loss of 15.4 billion yen a year ago, according to the company. Again, Panasonic attributed the losses to the effects of “reforms in challenging businesses.” For any CEO, vigilance with spending and staying the course is the easy part. Panasonic’s investment in Tesla’s Gigafactory will test Panasonic President Kazuhiro Tsuga’s willingness to bet on the future and dream big. At a time when internal disagreements are speculated among Panasonic's senior executives as to Gigafactory investment, Panasonic's next move also tests how much Tsuga trusts his own judgment, as well as his ability to rein in his management team.