Energizer is one of the world’s leading battery manufacturers and the brand is known all around the world. As pioneers of some of the planet’s leading battery technology, the company has a rich and distinguished history that is important to recognise. In this article, we take a look into Energizer’s past and explore the roots of one of the world’s most prominent battery companies.
Although Energizer didn’t incorporate as a company until 1980, the brand has its roots way back at the start of the 20th century. In 1905, Conrad Hubert pioneered the Energizer Pocket Torch for his company, the Eveready Battery Company. This was the birth of the flash light as we came to know it, and Hubert used the publicity that his invention afforded him to start manufacturing batteries under the trademark Ever Ready.
Two years later in 1907, Hubert and Ever Ready launched AA dry cell batteries, followed by the arrival of AAA dry cells in 1911. In the subsequent decades, Ever Ready battery products were at the top of the tree as far as American manufacturing was concerned, and the company became part of the National Carbon Company in the US. Ever Ready succeed and evolved throughout the American Jazz Age and the following Great Depression, before announcing another pioneering product in the 1950s.
By the end of the decade, Ever Ready was known as the leading manufacturer of small rechargeable alkaline batteries, which became the blueprint for the sources of energy many of us use and rely upon in the present day. In that respect, Ever Ready was ahead of its time, even outperforming their competitors – including Duracell – in terms of innovations.
In 1980, Ever Ready was re-branded as Energizer, the brand that many of us know today. What had been known for decades as the Ever Ready Alkaline Power Cell became the Energizer cell, and throughout the eighties, the newly branded company grew from strength to strength. In fact, before the decade was out, Energizer would launch another innovation – the first ever zero mercury battery. This was long before the 1996 banning of mercury in most types of batteries, and once again highlights how Energizer were at the forefront of innovation within the battery industry.
As battery technology was evolving in the nineties, Energizer created the first AA lithium battery, which further changed the game as far as optimum performance and ecological impact are concerned. As we now know, lithium is an ideal source of energy for batteries, and many of the most reliable batteries that we turn to today are lithium-ion cells. The vast majority of batteries in consumer electronics are lithium-ion cells, as they have an excellent energy-to-weight ratio, low self-discharge rate, and don’t lose charge quickly when they’re not in use. In other words, they have proven to be a revolutionary product.
Today, Energizer is still one of the world’s leading battery manufacturers and is very much at the forefront of innovation. For instance, in 2016, the company launched the EcoAdvanced range, which included the first ever battery manufactured with 4% recycled material from dead batteries. The company has also announced that by 2025, the EcoAdvanced range of Energizer batteries will increase the amount of recycled material to 40%, highlighting significant strides in this aspect.
Ultimately, Energizer is one of the world’s most well-known and trusted sources of battery technology, and for good reason. With more than 100 years of history of innovation and pioneering releases, you can trust Energizer to deliver an exceptional battery product for your appliance.
