Battery date code - new battery with a future date

[Vaca]

Just picked up this size 35 battery at Walmart today, 10/17/24, and it has an "11/24" sticker. Not a big deal, but just figured to share with this group.

I always figured that date sticker was the date of manufacture. But, apparently that is not always the case.

 

[oil pan 4]

So what's the future like?
Who won?

 

[slacktide_bitog]

Yeah I've seen that too

 

[Vaca]

So what's the future like?
Who won?

Haha, yeah, that's the million dollar question!

 

[Zenon]

Back to the future… "1.21 jigowatts!!!" battery?

 

[drtyler]

Sometimes they even replace older stickers with new ones.

 

[fantastic]

Don't think i've ever come across this before. Thanks for bringing that to our attention. I wish the sticker delayed battery aging but it doesn't.

 

[bdcardinal]

I used to see it all the time when I worked at Sears. Usually the last week of the month or so.

 

[Hirev]

My guess is that battery was going 88 MPH at some point.

 

[Carmudgeon]

It has been noted here in the past, though I don't recall the specific thread.

Those stickers (as well as some brand stickers, I've found), are applied by the distributor, as a sort of freshness indicator.

The actual manufacture date is coded into the serial number, or another number, often debossed into the case.

Homegrown EP battery didn't have to travel far.

 

[Vaca]

Yeah I purchased this battery in Lancaster - not far away from East Penn manufacturing. Though I don't know whether they made this one or not.

 

[eljefino]

Yeah I purchased this battery in Lancaster - not far away from East Penn manufacturing. Though I don't know whether they made this one or not.

They did.

 

[fantastic]

Yeah I purchased this battery in Lancaster - not far away from East Penn manufacturing. Though I don't know whether they made this one or not.

They did.

Agree, It looks similar to an auto parts store branded East Penn made battery I ran on my lawnmower for 7 years. Kept it on a trickle charger & I simply just replaced it for piece of mind.

 

[RaymondP]

Noticed same at my Walmart too. Seems like this would not be legal for food products. Not sure why allowed for other items....but what's a few months of inaccuracy between friends?

 

[Vaca]

They did.

Good to know as I understand East Penn is one of the better battery manufacturers. That's for that info.

 

[Carmudgeon]

Yeah I purchased this battery in Lancaster - not far away from East Penn manufacturing. Though I don't know whether they made this one or not.

Walmart serial number prefix EP = East Penn.

Clarios (nee Johnson Controls) = JC

HAN (Hankook), ATL (AtlasBX), DN (DN Automotive), and HSW (Hyundai Songwoo) are some of the others.

 

[Thebigm]

Walmart serial number prefix EP = East Penn.

Clarios (nee Johnson Controls) = JC

HAN (Hankook), ATL (AtlasBX), DN (DN Automotive), and HSW (Hyundai Songwoo) are some of the others.

On my DieHard/Clarios battery the manufacture date is etched in the upper left hand corner of the battery; sort of like a brand

 

[Vaca]

Walmart serial number prefix EP = East Penn.

Clarios (nee Johnson Controls) = JC

HAN (Hankook), ATL (AtlasBX), DN (DN Automotive), and HSW (Hyundai Songwoo) are some of the others.

This is really good info., thanks a bunch!

Clarios (Johnson Controls) and East Penn are the only 2 US manufacturers that I was aware of. I guess there are at least 4 others. And maybe Exide is another?

 

[Carmudgeon]

This is really good info., thanks a bunch!

Clarios (Johnson Controls) and East Penn are the only 2 US manufacturers that I was aware of. I guess there are at least 4 others. And maybe Exide is another?

Exide as well. The others are Korean companies, though AtlasBX has a plant in TN.

There are other US makers, like Enersys, which absorbed the remains of Douglas. Exide, which has gone through bankruptcies of its own, acquired GNB at one point.

The supply chains that serve each area determine what ends up on the rack. The left coast has seen a large influx of the Korean batteries, not just at WM, but other retail outlets as well. A few years ago, JCI was importing batteries from a Saudi joint venture.