AJAX, Ont. — East Penn has entered into an exclusive agreement with Furukawa Battery Co., a Japanese battery manufacturing company, to release a new battery technology in North America. The UltraBattery, which will be manufactured by East Penn, combines an enhanced power negative electrode in a lead-acid battery.

The new technology is designed to enhance the ability of the battery to accept and deliver high levels of power with low levels of electrical resistance similar to a supercapacitor. Traditionally, supercapacitor and lead-acid batteries are separate components relying on electronic controllers and complex algorithms to switch power between both units. This new technology eliminates the need for additional electronic control and multiple energy storage devices, the company says.

The UltraBattery is ideal for Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs), which rely on a battery operated electric motor to meet peak power needs during acceleration and recapture energy normally wasted through braking to recharge the battery.

In certain life cycle tests, this new battery has exceeded the life cycles of its nickel metal hydride counterpart for HEV applications, company officials say. In addition to higher cycles, the UltraBattery utilizes a less cost-intensive technology and is easier to recycle than nickel metal hydride and lithium-ion batteries, according to East Penn.