Batteries
Exide Technologies has released a new battery finder tool to help guide mechanics through the replacement process. The battery finder focuses on European parc vehicles including hybrid and electric cars as well as light commercial vehicles.
For battery brand Banner, highlight the quality and performance of products is key. And the fact that its products achieve original equipment (OE) standards is a central part of that. That’s why, as one of the founding members of the Original Equipment Suppliers Aftermarket Association (OESAA) and with Lee Quinney sitting on the advisory board, Banner reports that it is “committed and unequivocal about the importance of OE within the automotive aftermarket”.
Birla Carbon has announced its entry into the energy systems market with its participation at The Battery Show 2021 to be held in Novi, Michigan, USA from 14-16 September 2021. Key announcements include the presentation of a portfolio of conductive carbon solutions centring on the Conductex i and Conductex e range of products for lead acid and lithium battery applications.
Japanese Ambassador to the UK, Hayashi Hajime, visited global battery manufacturer GS Yuasa’s factory in Ebbw Vale on Friday 9 July as part of an official two-day visit to Wales to celebrate the strong connections between the two countries. During the visit, Hayashi Hajime toured the plant, which is owned by the Japanese based corporation and celebrated its 40th anniversary earlier this year, seeing first-hand how industrial batteries are produced by the 360-strong workforce.
Banner is introducing a new 50 Ah Running Bull AGM part number this summer as the starter battery compatible across a raft of models, such as the Suzuki Swift/Splash, Vauxhall Adam, Hyundai Kona and Kia Stonic. In what stands to be European aftermarket first for Banner, the Running Bull AGM 55001 part number is currently installed in the BWM i8 as a back-up battery, however – according to the company – that also makes it suitable as an upgrade for conventional back-up batteries in electric vehicles.
Nissan is set to invest £1 billion Nissan in building what it calls EV36Zero, “a world-first EV manufacturing ecosystem”, according to the company. Located alongside the company’s Sunderland factory, the project sees Nissan partner with Envision AESC, a battery maker, and Sunderland City Council. Comprised of three interconnected initiatives, Nissan EV36Zero brings together electric vehicles, renewable energy and a 9GW of battery production. With plans for a new UK-made Nissan-branded crossover car model incorporated, the factory investment is also welcome news for the original equipment tyre business, which has been hampered by reduced production and factory closures across the country in recent years.
GS Yuasa is using Welsh Government funding of up to £2.5 million to form part of a multi-million pound investment by the Japanese based corporation in its production plant in Ebbw Vale. As a result, 105 new jobs and a further 360 positions are protected.
As the brand’s key strategic supply partner in the UK and Ireland, Ecobat Battery Technologies (Ecobat) is highlighting Exide’s Carbon Boost products, which are described as “the batter[ies] of choice for workshops” – with Carbon Boost technology particular pertinent in times of reducing miles-driven figures.
Since being established 40 years ago in 1981, GS Yuasa Battery Manufacturing UK Ltd has produced over 85 million batteries at their Ebbw Vale production facility, employing over 360 skilled workers from around the local area to do so. Initially established as Yuasa Battery UK Ltd, the company name changed to GS Yuasa Battery Manufacturing UK Ltd in 2017 as part of the global roll out of the parent company name from Japan. The factory is located near the Brecon Beacons, and 30 miles from the Welsh capital Cardiff. Since being established in 1981, it has become a mainstay of the Rassau Industrial Estate on which it is based.
Exide Technologies is updating its Exide Premium range. The new black design utilises recycled components for reduced environmental impact: According to Exide Technologies, the change will lead to savings of 2,700 tonnes of CO2, 8 million litres of water and 1.2 million litres of crude oil in Exide’s manufacturing each year.
European electric vehicle battery developer and producer, InoBat Auto (InoBat) has today announced a landmark agreement with SOR, one of the largest producers of city and intercity-buses in Central Europe, with the intention to design, develop and supply batteries for a new urban, intercity and long-distance electric bus fleet.
GS Yuasa have launched a social media search for the longest-lasting Yuasa motorcycle batteries still in service and are giving a free replacement to anyone who has one over 15 years old. Entrants simply need to share a picture of their battery and bike on social media. Yuasa will then get in contact asking for the battery’s date code. The offer is open to UK and Ireland residents.
RAC analysis of the latest official Government data shows that the number of battery electric vehicles (‘BEVs’) in private hands in the UK rose by nearly 30,000 in the 12 months to September 2020, an increase of 53 per cent on the year before, with more than a third of these (36 per cent) in London and the South East of England.
The battery experts at Varta are issuing advice to vehicle drivers around the risks and complexity of attempting a DIY battery replacement in this age of increasingly complex cars. Varta say that its new awareness campaign seeks to dispel the myth that changing a battery continues to be the easy DIY task it was through previous decades. The advice from Varta is to do their research and if possible, to proactively seek battery fitting options, and if in any doubt, to check in with their local independent garage before attempting a battery change themselves.
Exide Technologies
Banner
Birla Carbon
Banner
Nissan
AMTE Power
Yuasa
Ecobat, Exide
InoBat