Released on: September 4, 2008, 9:08 am

Press Release Author: InvestorIdeas.com

Industry: Environment

Press Release Summary: Green Investor at Investorideas.com Presents Battery Stocks
Related Article by Paulo Nery

Press Release Body: September 4, 2008, Delta BC- Green Investor at Investorideas.com
http://www.investorideas.com/gi/
By Paulo Nery

Batteries are becoming increasingly important to our lives. Not only to sustain our
rapidly expanding wireless technology requirements, but also to support our need to
travel about. With hybrids, plug in hybrids and fully electric vehicles beginning to
provide us with more cost effective transport, we’re bound to depend more and more
on batteries. And at a larger scale, as we integrate more renewable sources of
energy into our electricity grid, we’ll need to manage supplies with more
uncertainty. So, there is likely to be an increased need for energy storage
solutions to help temper the ups and downs of power supply irregularity.

Lithium Ion batteries seem to get a lot press for their higher storage capacity per
pound, but the more traditional lead-acid batteries are likely to be with us for a
long time to come, particularly in the many industrial applications the use them.

The biggest maker of industrial lead acid batteries is Enersys (ENS). They make
batteries for forklifts and for back up power systems, over 60% of which is
overseas. They’re selling into markets like global logistics, telecoms companies
and the military.

Enersys has a proprietary technology that means their batteries last longer and are
smaller than the average lead-acid battery. They call it \"thin pure plate lead\" or
TPPL. According to their last conference call, demand for these batteries is more
than they can keep up with. So they’re expanding the plant that makes them.

But Enersys is not just about old battery technology. They also have a lithium-ion
battery technology which they sell primarily to military, telecoms and specialty
industries. So this steady tech company is well positioned for near term as well as
longer-term growth. (www.enersys.com)

Another large maker of lead acid batteries is Exide (XIDE) who make batteries for
cars, bikes, boats, agricultural equipment, construction vehicles etc. They also
sell specialized batteries for forklifts and other industrial equipment including
the military. Like EDS, over half of their sales come from overseas.

Only yesterday I had to put a new battery in my wife’s car. And where do you think
the old one went? Yep, Exide, who happen to be the largest recycler of lead
batteries in the U.S. That means they’re getting better value than buying lead on
the open market, and saving a bundle in the process of being green.

Their market cap, at $837 million, is about 25% less than Enersys. But their sales
are considerably higher and their p/e ratio is slightly lower, so I’m inclined to
like them a bit more. (www.exide.com)

Axion Power International (AXPW) is developing a proprietary technology they call
PbC – perhaps because it’s a hybrid of lead-acid and carbon. See their website for
more details on how it’s made (www.axionpower.com). Axion aims to sell the batteries
made with PbC as an upgrade to conventional lead-acid batteries in industrial
applications. This is an enormous broad-based potential market that will likely
respond to more efficient batteries.
They’ve been focused for over two years on refining their manufacturing methods as
well as continuing with performance testing on the pre-production prototypes. These
tests have shown that their PbC batteries have considerably longer cycle-lives,
faster recharge rates and more power than conventional lead acid batteries. But
then, a lot can change between pre-production and real world production.
If you’re in the mood for more speculative plays, Ener1 (HEV) is a good start. They
don’t have significant sales yet, but are developing Lithium-Ion batteries that have
been delivered as prototypes and successfully tested in a Th!nk EV (electric
vehicle). They’ve already built a manufacturing and testing facility and expect to
begin manufacturing by the end of this year. So they might actually be the first to
offer a production Litium-Ion battery to the auto industry.

For the long term, Ener1 is developing nano-materials for better battery storage.
That’s very intriguing with oil prices high, but not something to hold your breath
for.

And, you have to like the fact that they’ve shifted from the OTC market to the AMEX,
which makes the company seem that much more credible. (www.ener1.com)

If you’re a fan of Lithium-Ion batteries you could do worse than to look at Sociedad
Quimica y Minera de Chile S.A. (SQM) the Chilean mining company that produces
potassium nitrate, iodine and lithium carbonate other specialty products. They just
happen to also be the world’s biggest producer of Lithium, a business that was 15%
of their revenues last year but is expanding fast and expected to approach 40% by
the end of this year. Clearly, they will be a big benefactor of any significant
increase in demand for Lithium from whichever battery maker, or makers, succeed in
launching real-world products. (www.sqm.com)

Some other battery technology companies to keep an eye out for include:
Maxwell Technologies, Inc. (MXWL) - supercapacitors (www.maxwell.com)
Energy Conversion Devices (ENER) - nickel metal hydride (NiMH) battery technology
(www.ovonic.com)
Advanced Battery Technologies, Inc (ABAT) - polymer Lithium-Ion
(www.advancedbatterytech.com)

While the Lithium-Ion batteries seem to get most of the star attention, the
advantages, mainly smaller size, relative to the cost only pay off for mobile
devices right now. So the old-fashioned lead-acid battery is likely to continue to
hold on to a big piece of the market for a long time yet. But the lead-carbon hybrid
concept offers bankable advantages like faster charge, longer life and higher power.
So it may find a significant market once production begins in earnest.
Disclaimer: Nothing in the above article in no way constitutes a recommendation to
buy or invest in these or any other stocks. You should always seek professional
financial advice when planning your investments or trading in the stock markets.
Paulo Nery is an independent columnist for Green Investor at Investorideas.com Paulo
J. Nery writes about green business, green investing and green lifestyle.
www.InvestorIdeas.com/About/Disclaimer.asp. InvestorIdeas is not affiliated or
compensated by the companies mentioned in this article.

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