[censored][censored][censored] Electric Industrial Co., which makes Panasonic brand products. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara, file)

Thanks for the heads-up.

How does it stack up against the existing AA - 1.5v Lithium cells that have an expected shelf-life, assuming cool temperatures and low humidity, of about ten years? Those lithium cells are pretty good and the prices have gone down in the last couple of years. Making them pretty attractive for even non-critical emergency/survival use and the batteries to beat.

If the cost is lower and the energy output is about he same or better they may have something. Are they on the market? If so, who sells them?

The other thing to consider is temperature: lithium batteries perform better than alkaline in cold weather.

"world's longest-lasting AA alkaline battery cell", so its a competitor to alkaline or lithium not a rechargeable like eneloop

Art_in_FL, I'm not sure (too early in the development) how these will stack up against the existing batteries. I suppose there selling point will be for storage. I'm curious to the power level at the 10 year mark. I'm sure when they release a set then we will find out mire info.

Eugene, yor right it won't compete with the Enloop unless they will start to make rechargeables.

If they can make a 10 year storage on a rechargeable platform and the holding power like the Enloop then they could make some money in the survival area.

It says its alkaline so they can't just start making rechargeables 9well unless they are a company like rayovac)

Well I wouldn't be too sure of that, take Sanyo's enloop---> http://www.eneloop.ca/ they are not a battery manufacture like energizer, raovac or what have you but it would be nothing for them to modify a production line on a product if they see a demand for higher profit. I use to work for Lucent Technologies many years back before going to the rocket ranch to play with space crafts and we would alter our production demands real time with market shifts. So it all boils down if a product is a success, you may see that happening but I think right now they are getting there feet wet to sample the waters and are trying to market the companies that put there products out that sits on the shelves for long periods of time and have batteries included.

If they weren't too much more expensive than regular alkaline (Remember when alkaline batteries were special) but still cheaper than lithiums, I could still see buying them. As long as the claim about an 'improved seal' was real.

Over the years I have spent a lot of money and time on replacing and repairing equipment that has been damaged by leaking alkaline batteries. I try to replace them regularly, and after a few decades trying I'm getting better at keeping the schedule, but there are always a few devices that slip through the cracks.

Better batteries that inherently lasted longer and didn't leak would help.

well what I mean though is those 10 year storage life panasonic are alkaline so they are never going to compete with eneloop because there designed for different applications. Much like a Honda and UPS truck wouldn't be used for the same function.

I had a couple things ruined by those rayovac renewals and then after having waster $30 on a rayovac nimh charger and then wanting the rayovac hybrids and finding out they were only available at walmart I gave up on rayovac.

I've so far only had rayovac's leak. But in all my gear I priamrially have Eneloop re-chargeables then back them up with some alkaline. I buy a bulk pack each spring before we start going outdoors and using gear and then another pack in the fall before we might potentially have more power outages and storms.
I mark the date on the new pack and it goes in my BOB unopened. The pack that was in there I put all those batteries in any battery holders or cases or storage in my BOB and that batteries that were in anything in the BOB go in the drawer in the kitchen for kid toys. So my BOB always has batteries in gear that are 6 months to one year old and an under 6 month old pack. I swap out all the batteries in any vehicle gear likt the glove box flashlights or GHB supply.
So the roataion helps keep mine freash and hopefully prevents leaks.

This is also one of the reasons I standardize otherwise instead of buying one pack every 6 months I'd have to buy several different sized packs every 6 months.