New “Green” Batteries Will Save the World and Your Laptop

Starting in the first quarter of 2009, Hewlett-Packward will be offering new green batteries to laptop buyers under its new Enviro Series brand.

HP has been working with Boston Power for the last three years on creating a longer-lasting and more sustainable laptop battery. Not surprisingly, Boston Power had just announced that HP will be the first laptop manufacturer to offer their new batteries. Boston Power says the battery, named Sonata, charges faster and is safer to use. Lithium-ion batteries tend to be cased in iron, but the new Sonata batteries use a certain alloy that is less likely to crack open if there is an internal fire.

The green factor comes in to play because of the life of the battery. No longer will you have to replace several batteries in the lifetime of your laptop. A laptop battery’s power time drops significantly after 150 charges, but the Sonata battery can be charged over 1,000 times and still be as strong as the day you bought it. The price-tag for this power has yet to be announced.

Boston Power has also kept out PVC plastic and several types of heavy metals which make it so that the batteries can be recycled. The batteries are designed to be eco-friendly and will be marketed as such.

“Our tests found that 40 percent of consumers over three years have replaced laptop batteries up to five times, says Christina Lampe-Onnerud, founder and CEO of Boston Power. “If each is $150, that’s almost the cost of the whole system. I think this will change the appetite for sustainable products. Instead of purchasing something expendable, they can have something that lasts.”

Boston Power soon intends to enter the auto battery market and will release a portable lithium-ion battery for recharging your cellphones, iPods, and other on-the-go gadgets. The young company it attempting to fix all of our battery charge problems while taking care of the environment.

Soon you will be able to run a laptop all day in Starbucks on a single charge and keep your phone from blanking out when you need it most. The first part of that last sentence might be a stretch, but the batteries are supposed to last longer per charge and will come with a 3-year warranty from HP, the longest there is for laptop batteries. If Sonata turns out to be all that it is said to be, it will truly be an advancement and the next step in laptop batteries.