Panasonic Holdings said operating profit at its energy unit surged to ¥55.6 billion ($352 million) in the second quarter from ¥1.2 billion a year earlier, driven by stronger sales of in-vehicle batteries in North America and data-center energy storage systems. The company raised the unit’s operating profit forecast for the fiscal year ending March 2027 by 16% to ¥198 billion from ¥171 billion. Panasonic also increased its group operating profit forecast by ¥120 billion, or 20%, to ¥710 billion, citing stronger-than-expected growth in AI-related businesses. The company makes batteries for Tesla and other electric-vehicle makers and said demand from strategic in-vehicle battery customers continued to significantly outperform the overall market.