Plans call for Exide to work with NorthStar to provide sales, marketing and distribution expertise for targeted products for the transportation aftermarket beginning in 2011. Under the planned collaboration, a line of premium, high quality, engine-start NorthStar-branded and produced AGM products will be incorporated into Exide’s portfolio of battery offerings for automobile, marine and commercial applications. The two companies anticipate building this relationship upon execution of a formal agreement.

Exide plans to market the NorthStar-branded AGM product line as an ultra-premium, thin-plate offering—a strategy intended to expand its existing transportation battery portfolio and deliver a number of unique design features specifically targeted to high performance vehicles operating in demanding conditions. Exide believes these batteries would be well-suited for vehicles including emergency responders, commercial fleets and marine vessels, sports and luxury cars, larger SUVs and trucks.

Exide is working on the advancement of multiple technologies—including AGM—that may enable new product platforms for implementation during the next several years, including domestically manufactured advanced lead-acid AGM batteries. Supported by a $34.3-million grant from the Department of Energy, Exide is building two AGM configurations: a spiral wound absorbed glass mat (AGM) design and a flat plate AGM design to help conventional vehicles better handle the high demands of complex accessories and to address the increasing demand for micro-hybrid vehicles, idle-reduction commercial vehicles, and other strategic market segments.

The collaboration with NorthStar would enable the company to provide a larger portfolio of advanced lead-acid products to service a wide range of consumer needs.