Whoa.....have you priced car batteries lately?

[YY1]

I had good luck with the first couple Interstate's I put in my Dakota, but the last 2 did not last nearly as long. The Exide RK's have done much better, although the last one I bought was different.

 

[SoCal440GTX]

...after buying Johnson Controls, who owned Interstate.

JC never owned Interstate Batteries (IBSA), they just manufactured part of their product line.

 

[moparedtn]

Here's your current list of manufacturers - which is massive and easy to get lost in:
http://jgdarden.com/batteryfaq/batbrand.htm

When I recently bought one for my '04 Ram and Wally was half the price of anyone else,
that Everstart was traced by serial number to be made by Clarios (formerly Johnson Controls)
in - get this - Saudi Arabia!
Apparently they don't have the same aversion to lead production that we have....
also apparently it's cheaper to have something made in the middle east, then shipped all the
way over here, than it is to do anything else.
I'm befuddled...

 

[theamcguy]

You can thank the EPA. Lead is no longer being mined, smelted, or recycled in the US. That means all lead is coming from off-shore. Those batteries you turn in at the store when you buy a new one used to be recycled in the US, now they go in a container, get shipped to who knows where and recycled. The lead goes back in a container and shipped back to the US. Wonder how much that adds to the price of the battery?