Johnson Controls Inc. has added 11 absorbent glass mat (AGM) battery group sizes to meet the increasing electrification demands of today’s vehicles.
The new AGM sizes will be sold to Johnson Controls' retail customers under their private label brands, sold to wholesale distributors, and also sold under the Energizer brand.
The company says today's cars have more than 150 electrical devices to meet consumer and industry requirements for safety, comfort and sustainability.
"Increased electrical loads from features such as navigation and entertainment systems have redefined the critical role of the battery," says Dan Autey, vice president and general manager of the company’s North American aftermarket, Power Solutions division. "This expanded line offers more options for consumers looking for reliable and durable batteries that support features that reduce emissions and increase safety and comfort."
Johnson Controls introduced the battery sizes at the 2017 Automotive Aftermarket Products Expo (AAPEX) in Las Vegas, which ran Oct. 31 - Nov. 2.
Johnson Controls says it can now address nearly 90% of the cars in the U.S. that would require a replacement AGM battery, including high-electrical-load vehicles and stop-start vehicles, which are expected to grow globally by 60% by 2025.
In anticipation of this growth, Johnson Controls will invest more than $780M globally between 2015 and 2020 in AGM technology in order to increase capacity.
In addition to AGM batteries, Johnson Controls showcased its new Optima batteries lineup designed for late-model domestic performance to European models at AAPEX 2017. The company also highlighted its programs for advancing best-practices around a circular economy. Johnson Controls designs energy storage products so that up to 99% of the materials can be recycled and has a network that recycles 8,000 batteries per hour.
In addition, Johnson Controls is a founding member of the Responsible Battery Coalition, a team of companies, academics, and partner organizations committed to the responsible management of the batteries of today and tomorrow.
For more information, visit http://www.johnsoncontrols.com or @johnsoncontrols on Twitter.
