GS Yuasa

GS Yuasa Corporation
株式会社ジーエス・ユアサ コーポレーション

Electrical equipment
Predecessor	Japan Storage Battery Co., Ltd. Yuasa Corporation
Founded	1917; 108 years ago (1917) (Japan Storage Battery; later GS) 1918; 107 years ago (1918) (Yuasa Storage Battery) April 1, 2004; 21 years ago (2004-04-01) (by merger)
Founder	Genzou Shimadzu Jr. Shichizaemon Yuasa
Headquarters	Inobanba-cho, Nishinosho, Kisshoin, Minami-ku, Kyoto 601-8520, Japan
Key people	Makoto Yoda (President)
Products	Automotive, motorcycle and industrial batteries Power supply systems Lighting equipment
Revenue	US$2.93 billion (FY 2014) (JPY 348 billion) (FY 2014)
Net income	US$96.91 million (FY 2013) (JPY 9.98 billion) (FY 2013)
Number of employees	13,609 (consolidated)(as of March 31, 2014)
Website	Official website
Footnotes / references [1]

GS Yuasa Corporation (株式会社ジーエス・ユアサ コーポレーション, Kabushiki-gaisha GS Yuasa Kōporēshon) is a Kyoto-based Japanese company specializing in the development and production of lead acid and lithium-ion batteries, used in automobiles, motorcycles and other areas including aerospace and defense applications.

In 1909, Shichizaemon Yuasa established Yuasa Iron Works to modernize the family business, founded in 1666 as a charcoal trading business.^[2] Yuasa Iron Works began producing storage batteries in 1915, and three years later Yuasa Storage Battery Co., Ltd was established.^[3][4] Soon after, Yuasa Storage Battery Co., Ltd began making Japan's first automotive batteries.^[5] In 1925, Yuasa began making dry cells, and in 1941 they began making alkaline cells. The dry battery business was later spun off into Yuasa Dry Battery Co., Ltd, which later merged back into Yuasa Storage Battery Co., Ltd to form Yuasa Battery Co, Ltd, later renamed to Yuasa Corporation.^[3]

In 1904, Genzo Shimadzu Jr. [ja] (島津 源蔵, Shimazu Genzō, b. 1869 d. 1951) developed a high-capacity lead-acid battery to supply backup power to his factory during outages of Kyoto's then unreliable power grid. The Japanese navy purchased 400 units of this battery. Shimadzu established Japan Storage Battery Co., Ltd in 1917^[6] and began producing automotive batteries in 1919. In 1938 they began producing alkaline batteries and in 1940 they began making high-pressure mercury lamps.^[3]

GS was established in 1917

As of 2014, GS Yuasa had 9 plants for manufacturing industrial lead-acid and NiCd batteries and 5 plants for Li-Ion cells. GS Yuasa also sells other products including power supplies, lamps and motorcycle batteries.[8] Now the top power sports battery producer, Yuasa provides nearly 90% of the batteries used in power sport vehicles in North America.^[9]

GS Yuasa was one of the active players in the electric vehicle battery industry during the late 2000s to early 2010s when numerous battery vendors largely from Japan had formed alliances with car manufacturers to enter the novel market of EV.

In 2007, GS Yuasa and Mitsubishi Motors have formed an alliance and started a joint venture named Lithium Energy Japan (LEJ) that develops and manufactures lithium-ion batteries for automotive and industrial use. The Mitsubishi i-MiEV, the first mass-produced electric car, was equipped with the batteries from LEJ.^[10]

In 2009,

In 1981, Yuasa established one company in the UK to manufacture VRLA batteries and another for sales and distribution. They later established companies in Germany, France and Italy for sales and distribution. Yuasa Corporation bought a 50% share in Lucas Batteries Ltd in 1988, forming Lucas-Yuasa Batteries Ltd. Yuasa bought the remaining 50% of Lucas Batteries in 1997, forming Yuasa Automotive Batteries Europe Ltd which marketed automotive batteries under Lucas and other names until 2006, when Yuasa began marketing automotive batteries in Europe under their own name. In 2002, Yuasa Battery Europe Ltd was formed as a parent company for Yuasa's various European sales companies.[18]

Today, Yuasa Battery Europe Ltd sells a variety of batteries.

Century Batteries Australia is a division of Century Yuasa Batteries Pty Ltd and an affiliate of the GS Yuasa Corporation.^[19]

GS Battery VietNam Co., Ltd is a company 100% foreign owned capital, joint venture between GS-Yuasa Corporation and Mitsubishi Corporation.^{[20][21][22][23]}