Founded in 1885, Johnson Controls focuses on energy efficiency. The company has an international clientele, and it continues to look for new technologies. According to the company's website, it is the “leading supplier of lead acid batteries for virtually every type of passenger car, light truck or utility vehicle.” Johnson makes a variety of batteries, including lead acid batteries, hybrid batteries and lithium-ion automobile batteries.
Johnson Controls' lead acid batteries are sold under different brand names, including OPTIMA and VARTA in the United States. The OPTIMA batteries feature a spiral cell design that claims to have longer life than average batteries, vibrations resistance and spill-proof technology.
A hybrid car features an electric motor and a gas engine for the best fuel mileage available. These cars use hybrid batteries, which have start and stop charging capabilities. An example of Johnson Controls’ hybrid batteries is the VARTA start-stop plus.
Johnson Controls’ new battery plant in Holland has begun manufacturing lithium-ion battery packs for automobiles. A lithium-ion battery is a rechargeable battery often found in small electronics such as cell phones. Johnson Controls is making these batteries and shipping them to a company called Azure Dynamics for their Transit Connect Electric vans. Azure Dynamics' corporate headquarters is located in Oak Park, Michigan. The Transit Connect Electric Vans are classified as a light-duty vehicle and will be sold by Ford dealerships. They are expected to appear in the North American market in 2011.
