Energizer to debut new, longer-lived Zinc Air Prismatic battery at CES 2009

Energizer's set to unleash a new battery -- dubbed the Zinc Air Prismatic -- at CES in January, which they say will offer three times the juice of similar alkaline and lithium-ion batteries. Promising more runtime for smaller devices, they'll also supposedly be the same size as current, comparable batteries. It's a little vague right now, and we don't have any specifics on life times for specific examples of devices, but it all sure sounds great. We take exciting claims of battery power with a grain of salt, especially from the companies that make them, so we'll just have to wait and see. Then again, we're inclined to take companies with mascots that look like they've marched out of a hallucinogenic nightmare at their word. Conundrum.

[zioncat @ Dec 8th 2008 1:53PM]

It keeps going and going and going.

[Samboini @ Dec 8th 2008 2:25PM]

My girlfriend's rabbit will be pleased.

[aznofazns @ Dec 8th 2008 2:50PM]

Samboini, if your girlfriend has to use a rabbit then doesn't that mean she finds you inadequate?

[iKurt @ Dec 8th 2008 2:51PM]

That's what she said.

[Samboini @ Dec 8th 2008 3:12PM]

Yes, but hey I still one up you in being attractive to the opposite sex.

[Rocketboy @ Dec 8th 2008 3:56PM]

Unless someone else out there has a, well, err, how can I put it, an 'acuated dongle', with um, 'jumping beans', naturally, I think that it's safe to say that a rabbit is not reflective of performance.

Anyways, it's the woman's problem, not mine.

[BLOL @ Dec 8th 2008 1:55PM]

if you're a good person, you'll vote me up.

[y3k.nik @ Dec 8th 2008 1:57PM]

I am a bad bad man...

[Jake Tobak @ Dec 8th 2008 2:05PM]

But what happens when good men do nothing?

[maveric101 @ Dec 8th 2008 4:50PM]

Boondock Saints reference?
"Now, we must all fear evil men. But there is another kind of evil which we must fear most, and that is the indifference of good men."

[jere @ Dec 8th 2008 10:13PM]

Actually it's closer to the Edmund Burke quote about evil triumphing when good men do nothing.

[matthew @ Dec 24th 2008 4:52AM]

Boondocks referenced Burke... so you're both right

[martin @ Dec 8th 2008 2:06PM]

Ive always been a fan of energizer. Down with Duracell!

[Lloytron @ Dec 8th 2008 2:17PM]

Bloody Energizer fanboys! Duracell FTW!

[y3k.nik @ Dec 8th 2008 3:46PM]

get with the times, Eneloops FTW!

Stupid non rechargeable fanboys.

[Anthony @ Dec 8th 2008 3:51PM]

@y3k.nik: Hybrio & eneloop are good. Duracell also offers a pre-charged NiMH so they're still better than standard Energizers.

[jivetrky @ Dec 8th 2008 5:25PM]

Rayovac FTW!

[Lloytron @ Dec 8th 2008 7:06PM]

WTF was I thinking, Duracell FTW indeed. Tsk! Lloytron brand batteries FTW!

[miko34 @ Dec 8th 2008 2:07PM]

Three times the juice at five times the price.

[tom @ Dec 8th 2008 2:10PM]

+1

I prefer to use rechargables. They are more enviromentally friendly than this stuff.

[Jake Tobak @ Dec 8th 2008 2:11PM]

Some people might be willing to pay a premium so they can forget about their batteries a little longer.
I'd rather pay for a battery that'll last a month than get one I have to replace every day for free.

[basroil @ Dec 8th 2008 4:05PM]

Zinc Air batteries are actually cheaper and safer than Li batteries (like the e^2), since zinc is so much cheaper than Li (hell, practically all batteries have zinc, and this form of zinc isn't harder to make). They are used in military applications a lot, like those huge battlefield phones, and they last a week rather than a few days. Main reasons the army cared was because they won't catch on fire if it ruptures/shorts, and has a higher energy density so less clunk to carry for the poor pack mule of a private that gets handed the battery packs.

They actually sound amazing on paper and work great in practice. Here's to hoping the battery companies don't plan to rip us off that much.

[tekd @ Dec 9th 2008 12:48AM]

Yeah I'm a fan of quality rechargeables as well, although I do know that if Toyota is to be believed it may be possible to make rechargeable cells based on zinc air.
If that's what Energizer is dropping then it'll be really exciting, but yeah it's less exciting if it's just disposable batteries. Although, I have had to buy non-rechargeable batteries once for my digicam when it ran out of power on vacation.

[lens42 @ Dec 8th 2008 2:10PM]

Zinc air is not new, but not common in consumer devices because you keep them in an air tight bag, and then rip open the bag to use the battery. The battery has lots of capacity, as they say, but the down side is, once you expose the battery to air, it runs down whether you use it or not. Unless Duracell has figured out a way to change this behavior, I don't see it as much help for most consumer electronics, except maybe for emergencies. Maybe a something with a USB jack that you keep in you car, next to the road flares?

[Jeremy W @ Dec 8th 2008 2:14PM]

What does Duracell have to do with this?

[lens42 @ Dec 8th 2008 3:14PM]

Oops. I meant Enercell.....no. Duragizer.....Oh, never mind.

[Jake Steinerman @ Dec 8th 2008 2:15PM]

I think it would be a smart idea to call the new battery the "ZAP" (short for Zinc Air Prismatic)
You heard it HERE first

[JAmerican @ Dec 8th 2008 2:21PM]

The PR team might argue that one. Then again they could say to anyone who gets shocked...

"It says it on the damn battery!"

[anonymousaversa @ Dec 8th 2008 2:19PM]

Backwards compatible with all alkaline devices, right?

[JAmerican @ Dec 8th 2008 2:22PM]

LMAO Chemistry might but Corporations wouldn't allow for that.

[Félix @ Dec 8th 2008 2:48PM]

Dude it's energizer not Apple...

[adven2rous @ Dec 13th 2008 2:01PM]

Don't zinc air batteries need air to operate? I tried some in a laser pointer once, but since the cap was airtight, I had to open the end every 5 minutes to get them working again. Unless they have figured out a way to capture the 'air' part (maybe the prismatic part of the name?) I don't see the advantage.

[Dillon @ Dec 8th 2008 2:34PM]

I for one welcome our future robotic overlords that will run on said zinc air prismatic batteries.

[Patriks7 @ Dec 8th 2008 3:36PM]

I agree about the rechargeable batteries.. only place I have batteries like these is my calculator, remote control for my TV and wireless mouse.. Which neither wear out too fast, so I don't mind popping them onto the charing unit once in a while..

PS: I came up with those two items after looking around my room for like 10 minutes

[Patriks7 @ Dec 8th 2008 3:37PM]

Should read 3 items.. I have my head in a bio report due tomorrow, so I can't concentrate on anything else..

PS: ENGADGET where the DUCK (see what I did there? xD) is our EDIT feature?

[kal326 @ Dec 8th 2008 3:51PM]

"Then again, we're inclined to take companies with mascots that look like they've marched out of a hallucinogenic nightmare at their word."

Great precedent to set Engadget, now everybody trying to peddle their latest vaporware will have some crazy ass mascot just so you take them at their word.

[ran @ Dec 8th 2008 3:52PM]

Duracell invented the rabbit.

[Stiv @ Dec 8th 2008 4:03PM]

That's, like, not really, like, funny and stuff.

[Iridium @ Dec 8th 2008 4:04PM]

Buy IKEA batteries. They've been tested numerous times and were found to outlast other alkaline batteries and cost much less.

Thats the problem with all of the E2 and other high energy batteries. They aren't worth the extra cost. If the zinc air batteries last longer and cost the same then they might be worth it.

Rechargeables have really been hurting the bottom line. So have car batteries that last a lot longer. For a long time it was great knowing that everyone had to rebuy batteries every few days to run thier stuff.

Remember when you needed 4 D cells and two 9 volts to run nearly any electronic toy.

[ilh @ Dec 8th 2008 4:40PM]

Hmm, Duracell use a bunny here...so what's their mascot over there?

[Plothole @ Dec 8th 2008 5:28PM]

There isn't one. 'Just a "do do doo" jingle in their commercials.

[Bill @ Dec 8th 2008 5:38PM]

I've had major problems with alkalines leaking, ruining several Mini-Maglites and other devices (no, they weren't left on)

It's worth buying lithium for your emergency flashlight and weather radio (even low self-discharge NiMH still discharge in storage)

If these new cells are cheaper, have better energy density, as good a shelf life as lithium, and don't leak like alkalines, great!

[BratPAQ @ Dec 8th 2008 5:40PM]

3 times the power at 4 times the price

[Erik @ Dec 8th 2008 6:33PM]

I really don't care either way.

[Plothole @ Dec 8th 2008 6:53PM]

This news might make vintage camera owners rather happy. Since Mercury batteries were banned, Zinc Air batteries are the only economical alternative that doesn't mess with the exposure meter.

[Eric @ Dec 9th 2008 8:04AM]

COME BACK ZINC, COME BACK!

[James @ Dec 9th 2008 4:37PM]

*yawn*
I've quit buying disposable batteries for everything but the smoke alarms. I still have a stash of them, but as they become depleted I've been buying Eneloop rechargeable batteries and have never been happier. Dead batteries? Just go pop them in the LaCross charger and a few hours later they're ready go go. Fast charge if you need them in a hurry but I usually do the slow charge as it's easier on the batteries. Yeah they're a bit spendy, but many of mine have already paid for themselves.

I suppose I can think of one good use for these new zinc air cells, flashlights that I keep in my cars. Rarely used, and seems like more often than not the batteries are not only dead, but leaking all over the place when I need the flashlight most. Like another poster, I've had several nice MagLites ruined by leaking alkalines, one so badly that I can't get the batteries out to find out what brand they are to get the light replaced. Zinc air shouldn't ever leak.

BTW, I tried some Tenergy NiMH batteries that claimed to be low self discharge, got a batch because they were a lot cheaper than the Eneloops. They are *junk*, save your money and buy one of the reputable brands. The Tenergy cells self discharge faster than the old conventional NiMH cells I have, they get warm charging at only 200mA, the capacity when new is about 70% of rated and drops rapidly with light use. Furthermore they will pay you to post favorable reviews. Resist the temptation. JUNK.