FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Hitachi to Realign Battery Business Framework
Tokyo, November 25, 2011 --- Hitachi, Ltd. (NYSE: HIT / TSE:6501 “Hitachi”) will realignthe operation of the Hitachi Group’s battery business into a framework organized byapplication, specifically, consumer, automotive and industrial systems applications.
Business operations will be centralized at Hitachi Maxell Energy, Ltd. (“Hitachi MaxellEnergy”) for consumer applications, Hitachi Vehicle Energy, Ltd. (“Hitachi Vehicle Energy”)
for automotive applications, and Shin-Kobe Electric Machinery Co., Ltd. (“Shin-KobeElectric Machinery”) for industrial systems applications. Hitachi also plans to centralize
oversight of large-scale lithium-ion batteries for industrial systems applications at
Shin-Kobe Electric Machinery by transferring this responsibility from the Battery Systems
Company, effective January 1, 2012.
Currently, the battery market is showing a growing need for technological development
such as development of larger capacity and higher output batteries. Technologicalinnovation has advanced rapidly as a result of strong ties between battery systems andapplication products, particularly in the fields of batteries for automotive and industrial
systems applications. Furthermore, companies are now entering the lithium-ion battery
market from around the world, sparking stronger price competition. In addition, asenergy-conservation demand rapidly expands worldwide, there has been a growing needfor solutions that help to secure a stable power supply in times of emergency by combining
renewable energy and large-scale storage batteries.
In response to these changes in the business environment, Hitachi established the Battery
Systems Division on April 1, 2009 and began to formulate strategies for the entire Groupwith respect to the battery businesses that were previously promoted by each Groupcompany individually. Furthermore, the Battery Systems Company was established on April
1, 2010 to coordinate the technologies, expertise, development resources, and otherassets of Group companies, while laying stronger foundations for fundamental
technologies such as electrode materials, control, and application technologies. Hitachi has
also worked to strengthen power source solutions that combine standalone battery cellswith application systems. Here, Hitachi has created new applications that contribute to theSocial Innovation Business, which is a key priority for the Hitachi Group, and expanded
these power solutions to large-scale applications.
Alongside these efforts to enhance the development of technologies and solutions, Hitachi
has worked to develop a framework for driving business expansion by promoting strong
ties between battery systems and application products. Specifically, in April 2011, Hitachi- more --2strengthened ties between Hitachi Vehicle Energy, which specializes in automotive
batteries, and Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd., which specializes in automotivecomponents and systems. At the same time, Hitachi Maxell Energy, which specializes inbatteries for consumer applications, was spun off from Hitachi Maxell, Ltd. into anindependent company. Moreover, Hitachi has now centralized the battery business forindustrial systems applications at Shin-Kobe Electric Machinery. This has formed aframework capable of keeping up with rapid market changes by creating solutions utilizing
world-class technological and product capabilities in each business based on strong ties
between battery systems and products in the fields of consumer, automotive and industrialsystems applications. In addition, Hitachi Chemical Co., Ltd. today announced that it aims
to convert Shin-Kobe Electric Machinery into a wholly owned subsidiary through a tenderoffer.
Lithium-ion batteries are a key component underpinning Hitachi’s Social Innovation
Business, including the fields of Green Mobility and new energy. Hitachi will work topromote swifter, more dynamic business development with the aim of maximizing
corporate value.

About Hitachi, Ltd.
Hitachi, Ltd., (NYSE: HIT / TSE: 6501), headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is a leading global
electronics company with approximately 360,000 employees worldwide. Fiscal 2010
(ended March 31, 2011) consolidated revenues totaled 9,315 billion yen ($112.2 billion).
Hitachi will focus more than ever on the Social Innovation Business, which includes
information and telecommunication systems, power systems, environmental, industrial andtransportation systems, and social and urban systems, as well as the sophisticatedmaterials and key devices that support them. For more information on Hitachi, please visit
the company's website at http://www.hitachi.com.

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to change without prior notice.
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