Panasonic pays $21.15 per share in a private placement having been a supplier of batteries to Tesla.

Japan-based electronics company Panasonic has invested $30m in a minority stake in electric car company Tesla Motors.

Panasonic paid $21.15 per share in a private placement having been a supplier of batteries to Tesla.

Naoto Noguchi, president of Energy Company, a unit of Panasonic responsible for its battery cell business, said: "Panasonic aims to be the number one green innovation company in the electronics industry by 2018, the 100th anniversary of our founding."