Automotive Lead Acid Battery Manufacturers

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The automotive battery industry has undergone some significant corporate structure changes in the past couple decades resulting in those old company names we knew in the market now either renamed or out of the game altogether. When shopping for an automotive battery you are presented with many brand names printed on the face of the battery and you should know that those brand names are relatively meaningless. Only a small handful (count on one hand) group of companies actually manufacture the majority of automotive batteries in the world. It is good to know who makes the battery you are going to place in your automobile, since the quality from one manufacturer to the next varies.

The Big Three Automotive lead-acid battery manufacturers are (1) Clarios/Johnson Controls, (2) Exide, and (3) East Penn. Of the three, our recommendation is to avoid batteries made by Exide as they seem to have the lowest overall quality.

KNOWN LARGEST MANUFACTURERS OF AUTOMOTIVE BATTERIES

  1. Exide
  2. Johnson Controls / Clarios
  3. East Penn
  4. Continental

In our review we find the best quality batteries comes from Clarios and East Penn, as a general rule, having benefited from better quality control and materials. However, recognize that each produces different lines of battery from lower end to more expensive higher end. Also, when the manufacturer Johnson Controls is mentioned anywhere you should know the current name for the same company is now Clarios in regards to their battery manufacturing division.

Here is a list of the known lead acid battery manufactures in the world including some newer companies and some that are lesser known:

  • Clarious (United States)
  • East Penn Manufacturing (United States)
  • Exide Industries (India)
  • EnerSys (United States)
  • GS Yuasa (Japan)
  • C&D Technologies (United States)
  • CSB Energy Technology Company (Taiwan)
  • Koyo Battery Company (Taiwan)
  • Leoch Internation Technology (China)
  • PT Astra Otoparts (Indonesia)
  • Bosch (Germany)
  • Thai Bellco (Thailand)

Industry Updates:

Outdated: Most auto batteries are made by just three manufacturers, Delphi, Exide, and Johnson Controls Industries. Each makes batteries sold under several different brand names. Delphi makes ACDelco and some EverStart (Wal-Mart) models. Exide makes Champion, Exide, Napa, and some EverStart batteries. Johnson Controls makes Diehard (Sears), Duralast (AutoZone), Interstate, Kirkland (Costco), Motorcraft (Ford), and some EverStarts.

Napa batteries have been made by Deka since early 2009. They make great batteries. At our Napa store, the defect rate is 75% less than when Exide was supplying us.

Johnson Controls does not sell car batteries under their own name, it's all private-label. Johnson Controls battery division was sold to Brookfield and the Johnson Controls battery was renamed Clarios.

NAPA batteries are made by East Penn Manufacturing and these are good batteries for the price.

Most aftermarket car batteries sold in the U.S. are made by three companies that build them for retailers: Johnson Controls, which supplies more than half of the market; Exide; and East Penn. They are sold under various names and built to the specifications of retailers, so performance can vary. Most stores will test, install, and match a battery to your car?s needs. Here are the major brands and where they are sold.

ACDelco batteries are made by Johnson Controls / Clarios

Update: Johnson Controls battery division was sold to Brookfield and the Johnson Controls battery was renamed Clarios.

Update: Continental is now a distributor not a manufacturer. The company claims to have started the transition from manufacturing to just distributing in the 1990s.

Clarios is the manufacturer of Walmart Everstart batteries. Johnson Controls was the manufacturer until late 2019, when Brookfield Business Partners purchased Johnson Controls Power Solutions and established Clarios LLC.

Update 2021 - According to Blackridge Research & Consulting, the global lead-acid battery market was valued at USD 42.6 billion in 2021. Increased automotive sales in countries, such as Brazil, China, Germany, India, Indonesia, Mexico, and South Africa are fueling a surge in the lead-acid battery growth market.

Update: 2022 - The global lead acid battery market is estimated to be valued at US$ 87.20 Billion. Johnson Controls manufactures car, truck, and marine batteries, accounting for 65 percent of all automotive, truck, and marine batteries sold in the United States. Wal-Mart and AutoZone both use Johnson Controls batteries. Interstate and DieHard, are both Johnson Controls products, as is the Optima brand. East Penn manufacturers the Duracell brand extreme power AGM and the advanced generation EHP Duracell automobile batteries.

Update: 2023 - The top 5 lead-acid battery manufacturers in the world are:

  1. Clarios
  2. GS Yuasa
  3. Exide
  4. East Penn
  5. EnerSys


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