Gadgets and Gizmos

Panasonic unveils the world’s longest-lasting AA battery

Panasonic the Japan based company is introducing a double-A household battery that will keep gadgets running 20 percent longer than others do. The battery’s name is a combination of ‘Evolution’ and ‘Voltage’.

EVOLTA AA batteries are the first such batteries to be recognized by Guinness World Records, based on data obtained from discharge tests Panasonic conducted in accordance with the guidelines set by the International Electro technical Commission (IEC) and measured against ANSI, IEC and JIS standards.

EVOLTAs have a 10-year shelf-life which is nearly double the duration of other products on the market. Panasonic’s EVOLTA batteries will also keep gadgets running up to 20% longer than offerings from Duracell and Energizer as well as their own Oxyride brand.

The battery also has a 10 year shelf life, making it suitable to store in preparation for disasters. Other batteries have about five to seven years of shelf life, according to Panasonic officials.

Evolta goes on sale in April in Japan, and is planned for overseas markets later this year, according to Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., which makes Panasonic brand products.

Matsushita (Panasonic’s parent company) expects to produce 20 million of the new batteries a month. They will go on sale in Japan from the end of April. The company says the improvement was made possible by innovations in battery structure, materials and manufacturing processes.

This battery is available in Japan by April 28th for about $5.40 for a pack of four, but the US S residents are going to have to wait until sometime later this year to get their hands on the product.