Energizer SA

A HISTORY OF FIRSTS

1896

Energizer® begins innovating in 1896 with the creation of the world’s first consumer battery. W.H. Lawrence’s invention was initially designed to power home telephones and weighed around 1 ½ kg, slightly more than our modern battery cells.

1898

Within 2 years, another inventor by the name of Conrad Hubert is using these batteries to power an invention of his own: the first handheld torch. Lawrence and Hubert would come together in 1905 to form what was initially called The American Ever Ready Company.

1955

In the mid-1950s, Energizer®, still under the name of Eveready, introduces the first miniature batteries for hearing aids. This innovation would prove a key factor in the development of the more discreet devices we are familiar with today, allowing people with hearing difficulties to get on with their lives without the burden of an oversized battery case.

1957

On the 9th October, Canadian Eveready engineer Lew Urry applies for a patent that would change the battery industry forever: The first ever alkaline consumer battery. First produced in 1959, the increases in performance and longevity are so significant that in 1999, Urry’s invention is placed in the Smithsonian National Museum of American History

1958

Alongside the development of the alkaline battery, Eveready would also develop the first ever re-chargeable battery system, once again, allowing for improvements in performance that had previously not been thought possible.

1989

Always developing our products with performance and the planet in mind, in 1989 Energizer introduced the first zero-added mercury battery, leading the way in environmental initiatives.

1992

In another watershed moment, Energizer® introduces the first AA lithium battery, providing the performance required for modern high-power devices that have become an everyday part of modern life.