Panasonic can speed up Tesla plant investment if needed

By Makiko Yamazaki TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's Panasonic Corp is ready to bring forward its investment in a Tesla battery plant it is helping establish if this is required to meet demand for the electric car maker's upcoming Model 3 sedan. "We will do our best to move up the schedule if requested," Yoshio Ito, head of Panasonic's automotive and industrial systems (AIS) division, told reporters at a briefing on Friday. Panasonic plans to contribute $1.6 billion to Tesla's $5 billion "Gigafactory" i