The Electric Storage Battery Company
The Electric Storage Battery Company, which would one day become Exide Technologies, was founded by W.W. Gibbs in 1888. Gibbs, an executive at a prominent Gas company, saw the potential of electricity as a source of lighting, and set out on his own. He purchased the patents of Clement Payen, a French inventor who advanced electrical storage, and began transforming those ideas into reliable commercial products
W.W. Gibbs’ intuition was correct. Electrical storage was set to play a bigger role in society — far bigger than he originally imagined. As transportation technology — and the energy storage capabilities it required — advanced, Exide evolved with it. Exide batteries were present when Commander Byrd established an American military base in Antarctica. Exide batteries powered wakeless torpedoes in World War II and stored the solar energy that charged NASA’s first lunar landing module. By 1987, the company’s product line was capable of powering practically every vehicle on American roads
The Future of Exide
The 128-year-old startup we call Exide Technologies is transitioning into a new era, and we’re more optimistic than ever before. We’re reimagining our products, investing in new facilities in the U.S. and Europe, and hiring the next generation of engineering talent. At the beginning of the 20th century, when the energy storage needs of the American people grew exponentially, Exide rose to the challenge. As we move further into the 21st century, and energy storage again grows more complex, we are excited by the opportunity to once again power the world forward.
