GS Yuasa to Launch “ECO.R LONG LIFE” Series of Ultra Long Life Car Batteries

GS Yuasa Corporation (Tokyo Stock Exchange: 6674) announced today that it will launch its ECO.R LONG LIFE (“EL”) series of high-performance, private use passenger car batteries that are equipped with state-of-the-art technology in July.

The EL series will feature a long-life design and superior charging performance backed by high-performance plate technology. This technology will enable the EL series to improve longevity by 200-300% over the company’s standard products. The EL series will also be the first in Japan to be compatible with both conventional and idle-stop vehicles (not applicable for some products in the series).

In April 2000, GS Yuasa became the first battery manufacturer in Japan to launch an environmentally-friendly battery, the ECO.R, which uses recycled plastic for the battery casing. The series has sold widely, helping to create a society that is more aware of the environment. In 2009, the ECO.R LS was developed as an upgrade to the ECO.R series, offering both CO₂ emissions reductions and a long-life design to extend the product lifecycle. After minor upgrades, the ECO.R LS has been promoted as the Company’s core replacement battery since 2011.

In recent years, a wealth of new technologies to lower fuel consumption has been developed; fueling the launch of new-generation eco-vehicles such as hybrid and idle-stop-vehicles. Demand for the latter has surged, especially among minicar buyers, and created a need for new types of batteries.

In this environment, with its longer-life design compared with the ECO.R LS series, the EL series represents a new battery model series ideally suited to the next-generation of eco-vehicles.

Through sales of its EL series, GS Yuasa aims to promote a more pleasurable driving experience, as well as make a contribution to the environment.

ECO.R LONG LIFE Features

●Ultra Long Life (“ULL”) structure^*1 for core plates

Durability has been improved to prevent the degradation of active materials under severe operating conditions. This design has raised the longevity of batteries to 200-300%^*2 of standard products.

●Significant improvement in charge acceptance and regenerative acceptance through combination of an optimal amount of carbon and mixture of lithium in electrolyte solution

The synergy of these features with the ULL structure enables the series to be used for idle-stop vehicles.^*3

● Use of recycled plastic from used batteries in the battery casing and cover

●Use of safety accessories, including an indicator for easy battery status check and explosion-proof vent plugs to prevent the ignition of outer casing

*1: General name used by the Group for plates that utilize highly durable grids and hard paste (high-density active material).

*2: Based on a comparison with standard GS Yuasa products (calcium type) and verified through company tests.

B19, B24, D23, D26 models: 200%

B20 model: 300% (compared with B19 model)

*3: Excludes B19 model.

【Product Warranty】 Warranty conditions depend on vehicle type

・Conventional vehicle: 36 months or 100,000km

・Idle-stop vehicle: 18 months or 30,000km

(Warranty after purchase of vehicle is for either the length of use or distance travelled, whichever occurs first)

【Sales Date】 July 2013

【Sales Target】100,000 units (annually)

■ECO.R LONG LIFE (EL-90D23L/Q-85)